Butterfly Effect
by LimpBiscuit
Summary: What if Stephanie hadn't gotten a job at Vinnie's? What if her path had been slightly deterred? What if she had ended up standing outside of the Rangeman doors with her mind set on employment? AU!
1. Prologue

A/N: Am I writing this? Oh yes, of course. This here is an AU story I've had in lodged in my brain ever sense I finished Fearless Fourteen (Which I was severely disappointed about). Anyway, I haven't fully completed it but I suppose I can circulate it, haha. Enjoy!

***

Prologue

***

Karma.

It always comes back to bite me on the ass.

And the worst part is; I didn't do anything to deserve it!

Okay, fine. In grade school, I did happen to kick Larry Miller in the shin and managed to fracture it but that was because he took my playdoh. And, I guess knocking Geeni Manilla's front teeth out was pretty brutal but it wasn't my fault; I didn't mean to jump off the tree and land on her. Also, the incident with Mr. Rather's dog? I couldn't have predicted the outcome. So I threw it a few feet using a catapult? In my defense, I was ten and wanted to experiment. Who sold catapults to little girls anyway? I thought the dog would appreciate it. At least it got to fly._ I_ never got to fly. Couldn't say I haven't tried though. I just don't think jumping off my garage was the best way to go about it. Hell, it was a total bust. Broke my knee and cracked my arm in two different places. Wasn't my greatest birthday.

So,yes, maybe I caused a bit of a ruckus when I was younger but that couldn't possibly amount to the bullshit I went through as an adult. And was _still_ going through.

I would say I have bad luck but that would be inferring that I have _luck_ in the first place and that's definitely not true. Because, at the moment, I'm driving to an address on Haywood Street for a job with nothing but determination up my sleeve and crinkled clothes I never got around to ironing.

My name is Stephanie Plum and I was recently fired.

Not too spectacular right? I mean, everyone got fired. I'm sure many more people were getting the boot right now. And, I suppose, if that was the only horrible thing I was experiencing, I wouldn't have been so edgy. It's bad enough that I got fired from being a lingerie buyer at E.E Martin but it was another to be turned down by my own cousin, Vincent Plum. The very same cousin my mother had suggested I turn to for help.

My mother was, for lack of a better word, naive. Aside from being the perfect house wife, she knew nothing about the outside world. Like, for instance, she thought Vinnie was the smartest, cutest, kindest man in Trenton.

She was a bad judge of character. Vincent was a slug. He resembled a ferret, had the morals of Hitler and was the lowest of the low when it came to the Plum family tree. If it hadn't been for my mother's adamant resilience about being friendly to the family, I wouldn't have claimed him. That was, of course, after I realized he could provide me with a job. Thus, my suck up skills arose.

It did no good. My idiot cousin _turned_ me down. Just like that! Even after I threatened to show and/or tell his wife about the unusual infatuation he had with ducks. I guess he knew as well as I did that I didn't have the guts. I _could_ have ratted him out to his father-in-law, Harry the Hammer, though but, to be completely honest, the job didn't sound that appealing. I mean, being a bounty hunter? Really?

Oh yeah. I hadn't told you about that huh? Yes, that's right. The job I had been vying for was being a bounty hunter or a bonds enforcement agent, to be exact. According to Connie Rosolli, the receptionist guarding Vincent's office at the building, the job entitled dragging convicted criminals back to jail after missing court dates. It didn't sounded_ that_ bad when you think about it. I mean, yes, some of them could be cold blooded murderers but it'd put food on the table, no?

No. Because Vinnie didn't give me the job. Apparently, being a lingerie buyer made me inexperienced for being a bounty hunter. Who knew!?

The good thing was, I have another opportunity at nailing a job. No thanks to Vincent however but to Connie, the slightly overweight receptionist who's sister used to go to school with me. She was pretty cool considering that I had known her for a total of ten minutes. She told me of a large building on Haywood street labeled Rangeman. She informed me that it wasn't that hard to miss, had given me the address and didn't forget to warn me about it.

I hadn't really known what her warning meant. She said something about it being a hardcore security company, that it was nearly impossible for me to get the job and that she was crazy even recommending me. But then she said she liked my spirit and felt a tad bit sorry for me. I didn't bother to argue. This was my second, _and probably las_t, chance to get an occupation. If I went back to my mom's house unemployed, there'd be hell to pay.

I glanced down at the address, looked up to squint through the windshield and spotted it.

_Wasn't hard to miss_ was an inaccurate description. It was located in an inconspicuous seventh story building and the only thing that advertised it was a small plague above the door buzzer. The bottom was surrounded by a chain link fence that opened into a parking garage. I chugged to a stop before it in my father's 1953 big, powder blue Buick.

Did I forget to mention that my last car got repossessed?

I started to get out but the gate opened as soon as I put my hand on the door handle. I blinked, glanced around and drove on in. Parking in a spot off to the right, I straightened my jeans, smoothed out my stretchy white shirt, grabbed my purse and took a deep breath before getting out. I glanced around some more and spotted an elevator next to stairwell of steps leading up. I tip toed over to it while I checked around. Nothing was in sight except for a couple of dark, sleek looking cars that looked highly expensive.

I was beginning to think the place was empty until I caught a glimpse of the camera placed precariously above the elevator. Whoever was up there could see me. That was probably how they knew I had been outside the gate.

I gave whomever a little finger wave and stepped into the elevator. I could have taken the stairs if I wasn't so big, lazy and resentful against all things exercise. I pushed the button that had: _Floor One Reception _beside it and felt the elevator move upwards, taking note of another camera in the corner.

I mentally cracked my knuckles and waited. Whoever owned this place _must_ have been no nonsense what with the cameras, intimidating building, gates and vehicles. I was starting to think I was in a movie and was about to be recruited for the mob. I pushed that thought aside and breathed into my cupped hands. _Concentrate, Stephanie. You need this job. You really, really do._ I nodded to myself and watched the elevator doors come open.

Show time.

I was focused. I was indomitable. I was strong.

I was ready to get this damn job.


	2. Chapter One

**

Chapter one

**

"So, who are you here to recommend?"

"Huh?"

"For the job? Who are here for? Your brother? Uncle? Dad?"

"Uh.....No,_ I_ want the job. _Me_."

There was a beat of silence. "But you're a female."

"I hadn't noticed."

I watched the man blink at me before biting his lip. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. He wasn't the sharpest tack in the toolbox. Then again, maybe he didn't have to be what with his outrageously large muscles, massive head, tattoos and the menacing dark clothes he was wearing. There was a neat little line on his breast pocket that read: Rangeman. Hal. I figured that was his name.

The "interview room" I had been taken to upon my arrival at the front desk reminded me more of an interrogation room. I had been led around winding hallways and dimly lit lights. For a second, I thought I'd end up in a torture chamber. Fortunately, I didn't. Although, I hadn't expected the room to be so.....blah. I always had interviews in bright, sunny, friendly places. But no, I guess a small room with no windows, one door, two chairs and a desk with a giant man sitting behind it was a perfect place to speak about my qualifications. If I wasn't so hard pressed for employment, I'd have bolted.

Hal glanced around and I could see he was uncomfortable. What? Hadn't he seen a female before? The receptionist at the front desk looked like a woman.

"Excuse me."

I watched him stand up and walk out with furrowed eyebrows. Great. I sighed and slumped in the chair, preoccupying myself with counting the amount of lines in the wooden table. I only got to thirty before the door opened again.

My mouth came open as I took in the men who shuffled in. There were four all together. Hal, my previous interviewer, was one of them. The other three were just as big, daunting and wore black. One of them looked even huger than the rest. I blinked in astonishment and fear. Oh shit. They were going to kill me. This was the mob. Connie had tricked me. I was going to die. Game over.

The biggest of the four came over to sit down across from me and he smiled. It was a sweet smile that looked foreign on his large face. Okay...maybe he wasn't apart of the mob. I spotted his name tag and nearly gagged. Tank!? His name was Tank. What kind of-

"So, you're here for a job?"

It took me a moment to realize he had spoken and was speaking to me. "Yes." I squeaked out. "Yes, I am."

He must have noticed my fear because he sat back and said, "I hope we're not scaring you." His eyes wandered to the three men standing behind him, grinning.

"No, of course not." I blurted out a bit too fast. They blinked at me. If they thought I was a wuss, they'd never hire me. So, I sat up and took on a stern expression while deepening my voice. "I'm perfectly comfortable. No fear here. Can we get this interview on with?"

The men exchanged impressed looks and I caught the smirk on their lips. I smiled. A test. It must have been a test. They were checking to see if I'd be frightened enough of them to run out of here. And I passed! Hah. Take that steroid induced males!

Or, you know, either that or they were teasing me. Who's to know?

Tank held out his hand, Hal sat a clipboard in it and while he searched for a pen, I took the time to check out the other two unidentified men. Apparently, one was Lester and the other was..._Binkie_? I tried to stifle a giggle but it got out. All eyes locked onto me and I froze. Shit. Shit. Shit. That was the first and last straw. They were going to gut me. I held my breath and waited.

No one brought out any shanks.

Tank cleared his throat. "Okay then Ms....?"

"Plum. Stephanie Plum."

"Okay then Ms. Plum, let's get started." His eyes roamed over the board. "Previous profession?"

"Lingerie buyer."

Silence.

"Excuse me?"

I spoke louder, "Lingerie buyer."

They all stared at me in disbelief. "Are you even qualified for this?"

"By qualified...you mean..?"

"Have you worked in security before?"

"I've dabbled."

"As in...?"

"I've recently installed a lock on my door."

There was another moment where they all just stared at me with wide eyes. "That's it?" Tank asked.

"It was a very complicated lock."

By the third silence-awkward stare, I was beginning to think that I should have lied. And, if there had been a resume, I _would_ have. But I can't lie in face to face interviews. I suck at lying.

Tank glanced down at the board and checked something off. "Okay.......Are you physically fit?"

"Somewhat."

"You run everyday?"

"Well no but I've limited my daily dosage of four dozen doughnuts down to two dozen."

It might have been something in his throat but I was pretty sure Lester snickered. Hal coughed and Binkie just looked on in horror. Tank stared at me without blinking for a beat. "Moving on," He muttered, checking off something else on the piece of paper. "Are you...good under pressure?"

"I grew up in Jersey."

All the men shrugged as if to say; fair enough. Aside from the test to see if I was brave, I couldn't come up with a logical explanation for why _all_ of them were still here. Maybe this Tank guy was the boss. I smiled. Yes! Of course. That was probably why Hal had brought him in. Yes, Tank called the shots. I would have to suck up to him if need be. And, with the way things were looking now, it _would_ be needed.

"So, if you were in an ambush situation, what would you do?"

Ambush? I furrowed my eyebrows. Why the fuck would I be in ambush situation? "I'd probably just wait for it to be over."

There was no mistaking it this time, Lester AND Binkie laughed.

Tank sighed lowly and glanced down at the clipboard. "Ms. Plum, have you used a weapon before?"

"Like a fork?"

"Like a gun."

I paled. "I'm not a fan of guns." It was true. I_ hated_ guns. Little, evil, metal murderers were what they were. Evidently, my answer wasn't what Tank wanted because his eyebrows shot up clear to his hairline.

"Will you excuse us for a moment?"

The giant man stood up and ushered the men into a corner of the room to talk in private. Except it wasn't so private because I could easily overhear them. The room was the size of a rubrics' cube. Did they honestly think moving a few steps away would grant them seclusion?

The first thing I heard was Lester's voice, "I like her."

"She's completely inexperienced!" Hal whispered viciously. Hal wasn't striking me as a cool guy right now.

"So what?" Lester shrugged. "She could be put on monitor duty or something." I was beginning to like this Lester guy.

"It's not up to us." Binkie added in. I watched all eyes go to Tank. AHA! I knew it. Tank _was_ the boss. I quickly stretched my shirt down to expose more of my boobs. They weren't spectacularly big but it'd do. What? Don't judge me. I _needed_ this job.

Tank sighed heavily. "Fine. We can give her a chance, I suppose." He mumbled. They turned around to glance at me. Almost instantly, all of their eyes went to my chest. "Uh..." The big man swallowed hard. "We uh...need uh...to get our uh.....the man who...uh...the guy-"

"Our boss!" Hal blurted out, face red.

My eyes flew to Tank. "Boss? You mean.....?" I groaned and fixed my shirt. Great. I just partially flashed four men for no reason.

"We'll be right back." Lester smiled, winking. I covered my face with my hands and didn't look up until I heard the door shut again. I was making a complete fool of myself. These people weren't going to hire me. Everyone employed here, apparently, had to be big, huge black/white guys with scars and tattoos and no necks. Connie had been right. I was hopeless.

That didn't stop me from applying more lipstick however. There was still an ounce of determination running through me. The _real_ boss was coming so this would actually count. Hopefully. Hell, with my luck, the 'boss' would probably end up being a woman. And no, I don't usually whore myself out for jobs just in case you're wondering. This was actually my first time doing it. It wasn't like I was going to sleep with someone to get the position. No way. I wasn't _that_ desperate.

The door came open again, I closed my eyes and I puckered up, I was all ready to be a class A suck up and a no good prostitute. Heh. The things I go through for money.

"My men tell me you're looking for a job."

I opened my eyes and beamed. "Why yes I........" I suppose I should have continued to speak but my voice was temporary unavailable. Why, you ask?

Because a sex God was standing in front of me.

He was dressed in green and black cargo pants stuffed into black boots with a black shirt on that looked painted onto his chest. His skin was of a lighter brown hue than the rest of the men I'd seen here which gave me the impression that he was mixed with something. His eyes were dark, his hair was dark and slicked back into a ponytail, a smile was hovering over his lips and the muscles bulging out of his shirt were grossly evident.

_This_ was the boss?! I breathed in sharply. Well....if I _had_ to sleep with him then I guess I could suck it up and do it....

My imagination came into play. It wasn't my fault. I couldn't stop it. The walls of the small room broke away and transformed into sandy beaches. The desk vanished and, crazily enough, so did his shirt. Sun shone down from the sky, highlighting the smooth, brown skin over his abs. His hair came undone and he twisted his head, letting it swirl behind him in slow motion. He shot me a smirk and I nodded, smiling widely and motioning for him to continue as he grabbed the waistband of his jeans and tugged downwards-

"Hey."

My fantasy,_ I mean daydream_, was washed away in a swirl of colors and my smile dropped. The man was still there but he was fully dressed with a raised eyebrow. I blew out a sigh.

"You alright?" His voice and expression was cool.

"Of course I am." I stated quickly. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You were moaning. I thought you were in pain."

I glanced away and cursed under my breath, feeling my face flush. "No, I'm fine." I exclaimed loudly, nodding intently. "Just fine."

He sat down across from me without another word and picked up the clipboard Tank had left there, scanning over it. I took the opportunity to scope out his shirt. No name tag. His eyes came up to meet mines and I smiled for no reason in particular. I needed to chill out. It wasn't as if I hadn't seen a handsome man before. So what if he was amazingly sexy? This was my chance at a job. I didn't want to blow it AGAIN. That is, if I already hadn't.

"Stephanie Plum, huh?"

_He said my name!_ I rolled my eyes swiftly after wards. _Get a grip_. "Yep. And you would be.....?"

"Ranger."

I guess I should have seen it coming. I mean there was a Binkie, a Tank and now a Ranger. It shouldn't have been unusual and yet I still giggled softly.

His eyebrows raised a fraction and I instantly shut up. "Something funny?"

"Nope. Nuh uh. Naw. No. Nothing." The corner of his lip twitched once and he stared until I blurted out, "Okay...I kinda thought your name was funny."

"It's a street name." _Of course! DUH!_ I mentally slapped myself. "But do you want to know what's _really_ funny?"

I furrowed my eyebrows and shrugged slowly.

"The fact that my men humored you as long as they did."

My mouth came open. "Excuse me?"

Ranger sat back and shook his head. "I don't think you're cut out for this line of work, babe. Shall I give you directions to a hair salon? I'm sure they'll be happy to take you. Or maybe a nice, little, comfortable spot at a jewelry store? "

I'm not sure why but I got angry. No, I got furious. Jewelry store!? It didn't even occur to me that he was absolutely right. Everyone knew I wasn't cut out for this job, even I. But he didn't have to be a jerk about it. He could have strung me along, said he'd call me if he needed me and dismissed my existence without a second though.

But _nooooo_. Mr. Big and Bad wasn't having it that way. I guess he enjoyed turning women down with an emotionless face and a condescending tone. I could only imagine how his love life was holding up.

Fury oozed out of me and, before I could think twice, I exploded.

Narrowing my eyes, I slammed my palms on the desk and leaned forward. "Listen you dumb sexist pig, I could damn well do _anything_ you AND your 'men' do around this dump. Hell, I bet I could do BETTER! Just because I'm a woman doesn't mean I'd like a '_nice, little, comfortable spot_' to work at! I'll have you know that I've taken down men way _LARGER_ than you! And to think, I thought you were so handsome there was no way you could be a jackass but I guess I was wrong! Should have seen that coming. It's the cute ones that are complete dicks." I straightened my purse and stood up, spitting out sharply, "Thank you for the interview and good day."

I was all set on walking out with my chin held high and the last word but before I reached the door, Ranger stepped in front of me. I stumbled back a bit and stared up at him warily. He was gazing down at me with indifference and that seemed to make him even more menacing. I bit my lip and all my bravado disappeared. Okay, note to self: Never cuss out a sexy, scary looking man unless you have quick access to the door.

"So," He drawled out, raising one eyebrow. "You think you can hang with us, if not, do better?"

You see, the smartest thing to say here would have been a definite: NO. I didn't even remember claiming I could do better. It must have been my blind rage at work. But, sense I was hell bent on keeping up a hard ass facade towards him and was already in too deep to chicken out, I squared my shoulders. "That's right."

"Fine."

I blinked. "Fine?"

"You start tomorrow."

I stayed stoic for a moment before I exclaimed, "Really!?"

He smiled. It wasn't a friendly one. Shit, I don't even think it could be considered a smile. It was more along the lines of a smirk. A predator stalking down its prey. "Welcome to Rangeman."

Then he left without a second glance. I blinked after him and spotted Lester, Tank, Hal and Binkie staring at me with wide eyes in the hall. Obviously, they had been listening through the door.

I smiled shakily at them to hide the apprehension in my chest.

Lord, what had I gotten myself in to?


	3. Chapter Two

A/N: I almost thought about splitting this up into two chapters but I think that would have ruined the flow so here's on giant mass of a chapter!

Also; I'm pretty sure this story is going to be filled with all types of humor but I do intend to throw in a bit of angst (Come on; It's Stephanie and Ranger, they're full of drama) so I warn you of that. Oh yeah and...this story is _so_ Babe. LOL.

* * *

Chapter Two

* * *

"So? How'd it go?"

That's my mom. No hello, good day, how ya doing. Just all business as soon as she answered my knock on her door.

I thought back on my outraged cursing out of Ranger and shrugged. "It went well."

My mother beamed and pulled me into the house, leading me towards the kitchen. I shouted hello to my dad who grunted back. My father was the equivalent of a burg husband as my mom was the epitome of a burg wife. Dinner was always served at six, football games were always watched on day offs and conversations among the family never happened. At least, not when he was watching men pummel each other over a ball.

"So you have a job now?" My mother asked expectantly, eyes shining with hope. Don't be fooled. Normally, my mother's not this animated. I guess the prospect of her daughter finding a job so soon after being laid off was exciting her. Either that or she wanted to be able to go out in public again. Because_ God forbid_ she show her face at the supermarket with an unemployed daughter.

"Yep." I smiled, flicking my eyes towards the boiling pots.

"I wouldn't have taken a job under that scum Vinnie. I heard he likes ducks. In an _intimate_ type way. Did anyone else hear that?"

We turned to see my Grandma Mazur amble into the room. I smiled again. My Grandma was one sudden action away from the loony bin. She had enough stamina to take down a bull, wore clothes made for woman much younger than her and enjoyed playing Bingo and going to funeral viewings. She had come to stay with my parents after my Grandpa Mazur passed and I often wondered how much longer my dad would put up with her before he stabbed her in her sleep.

My mother gasped and made the sign of a cross. "Vinnie does not like ducks! Who would say such a thing about that nice boy?"

I stuck my tongue down my throat. "Not like it matters. I didn't get a job with Vinnie."

They both turned to blink at me. "What?" My mother frowned. "So what job _did_ you get?"

I opened my mouth but then froze, thinking back on the events from earlier today. After Ranger made his exit, I was stuck with Tank, Hal, Lester and Binkie. After they stared at me for a good minute, Tank told me what time to be back at Rangeman tomorrow and informed me to wear all black (big surprise there). Then they congratulated me, snickered behind my back and then went wide eyed again when they saw Big Blue. I didn't know what it was about the blue monstrosity that amazed men to the point of fainting.

But, even with all this, I had forgotten to mention and/or ask about the actual job. What the_ hell_ I had gotten hired for?

"I...work for a security company." I said unsteadily, remembering the information Connie had given me about the building. "It's on Haywood Street. Nice neighborhood. Good people." Good, strong, scary ass looking people who could snap my neck by just blinking an eyelid.

My mother up her face in suspicion. "What's the company called?"

"Rangeman."

"Hn." Grandma Mazur snorted. "Sounds kinda top secret. You're not a secret agent are you?"

Hell, for all I knew, I could be a sex slave. I paled at the thought. "No." I wheezed out. "Just a...security...person."

"Won't you have to carry a gun for that?" I could see my mother's gaze wandering towards the cabinet she kept her liquor in.

I wasn't sure. Tank had mentioned a gun but I was pretty sure they wouldn't let me use one, not that I wanted to. "Don't think so."

Grandma Mazur was eyeballing me carefully. "I wonder why they'd hire you. You don't look like you'd be able to secure anything."

I tried to scowl but knew she was right. I could picture myself now; riding around in black with a gun and accidentally shooting someone's ear off. The realization made me wonder just what the heck Ranger _would_ have me doing. "What's for dinner?" When in doubt, change the subject.

"Pot roast, of course." YUM. My mother began to set the table. "While we're on the subject of guns, have you heard?"

I blinked at her. "Heard what?"

"Joseph Morelli's wanted for murder."

My eyes widened momentarily. I hadn't heard that name in over ten years. I was hoping I never would have to again. But it figured. Joseph Morelli grew up in the burg just like me, a few houses down actually. He was, in theory, the bad boy every girl dreamed of getting. When I was six years old, he tricked me to look up my skirt. At sixteen, he took my virginity on the floor of the shop I worked at and a few years after that, I ran him over with 'ol Big Blue. I felt a bit guilty after wards but not enough to get out and help him. He was a cop now but apparently, his reckless ways hadn't evened out.

"His mother's in a frenzy." My mom sighed. "I can only imagine what she's going through. That poor boy."

I rolled my eyes. Guess my being laid off would be flooded out of the burg grapevine by Morelli's capture. I could have been more sensitive to the matter, yes but, truth be told, I didn't feel one bit of sympathy. Morelli was scum. And, no, I'm not just saying that because he never called me after the incident years ago. I'm saying that because it's true.

FINE! Maybe I felt a bit sorry for his family and...maybe, for him too. That wasn't going to bring my good cheer down however. I just got a freaking job!

"It's a shame when crooked cops go bad." Grandma Mazur stated, clicking her dentures together. "That's the term right? Crooked cops go bad?"

I groaned. No one was going to let up on this subject, I see.

"Or maybe its good cops gone crooked? Crooked good cops gone bad? Crooked cops gone crooked?"

* * *

When I chugged to a stop outside of my apartment, I immediately made a mental note to get another car. Big Blue was an elephant on wheels.

I hopped out and took both myself and the leftovers from my mom's house across the parking lot, towards my apartment. I lived in a no-frills, three story complex that housed more seniors than a retirement home. Dillion, the building super, was a good friend of mines which was possibly the only reason why I continued to stay in it even though I was two months behind on rent.

I thought about using the stairs as exercise, easily discouraged that idea and took the elevator instead. Hah. Stairs.

The inside of my apartment wasn't very spectacular either. Very mellow, quiet and _empty_. My pet hamster, Rex, occupied the far corner of the kitchen and was currently running on his wheel. I fed him some cereal; he stuffed them into his pouch and went back to his wheel. That was the sum of our daily conversations. No arguments, messes or loud noises. I smiled. Rex was the perfect roommate.

I sat the leftovers in the fridge. That'd be my breakfast for tomorrow.

And, with that, I kicked off my shoes and dived into bed, reaching up to set my alarm for nine o'clock before closing my eyes. I had a feeling tomorrow would be a very long day.

"What kind of Buick is that? It's awesome."

"How about you marry it then if it's so awesome!"

Lester raised his eyebrows at me and grinned. "Someone's grumpy."

I muttered something incoherent but definitely angry under my breath. Hell yeah I was grumpy. It was nine in the freaking morning. I deserved to be grumpy. I had never actually comprehended the time that Tank had given me yesterday. I just kept it in memory, set my alarm clock and dozed off. Nine o'clock? Really? Who woke up at that time?

Big, muscular, psycho men apparently because Lester, Tank and some guy I didn't recognize were wide eyed and alert, leaning on a sleek, black Porsche a few spots down from where I parked. Welcoming committee, I suppose. They were dressed in all black and what I could only determine was the Rangeman uniform. I glanced down at the attire I picked out of my closet. Baggy black T-shit advertising Kiss and black jeans. Compared to them, I looked downright unprofessional.

"Ranger won't fire me for wearing this will he?"

Tank shrugged. "Nah. For such short notice, you actually look okay."

Lester nodded. "He probably has Ella picking out clothes for you anyway."

"Ella?"

"She works here." Said the unknown man. "Household staff. Handles cooking, cleaning, attire."

I frowned. Was it me or did he only hire women to do menial jobs?

"I still think it's a fucking miracle he hired you at all." The very large, man I didn't know muttered under his breath. I decided to ignore him. I barely had enough energy to conjure up a response anyway.

"So," I said flatly, rubbing my hands together in a fake show of excitement. "What exactly _am I_ doing?"

"So eager to get to work?" A sudden voice asked from behind me. I jumped in fright, completely caught off guard. A second later, I found myself clinging to the guy I didn't know. I blinked at his name tag. Ram. I gulped and glanced up to see that he was grinned down at me. "I don't encourage business mixed with pleasure, Ms. Plum."

The guys chuckled and I narrowed my eyes, stepping back and turning around to face a smug looking Ranger. I tried to keep up my glare but it was hard to do. Why couldn't I have stumbled upon a job with an ugly boss? "Don't sneak up on me!"

"I didn't."

"You DID! I didn't even hear footsteps."

"You should be more aware of your surroundings then."

I set my jaw in a scowl and watched as he nodded to the three men behind me. They slowly scattered; Lester leaving up the stairs and Tank and the guy I fondled, Ram I think, drove away in the Porsche.

"I'm surprised you made it on time." He told me, his voice unbelievably unattached. "Lets be honest, I didn't even think you'd show."

"Yeah well, I'm chalk full of surprises." I boasted, trying to act just as cool. I was failing miserably. My limbs were tired and my eyes were drooping.

His mouth twitched. "I bet." His eyes traveled over me. "You've taken '_one of the boys_' to an extreme."

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion for a second before glancing down at my attire. A few minutes passed until I realized when he meant and, with clenched teeth, I turned to look at him. "It was ALL I had in my closet!"

Ranger just stared. "Follow me."

I marched after him as he led me towards the elevator, summoning up some will power. On the drive over here, I had decided to apologize to Ranger about the scene from yesterday. I had been adamant about it actually. I really didn't want to work for a man who hated me because I'd cussed him out. Especially not a good looking man.

He wasn't making it very easy though what with his arrogant attitude and the insult he made about me looking like a boy. I didn't do a lot of apologizing in my life. Okay...maybe I did but that didn't mean it was always my fault. I just needed to suck it up and get it over with.

So, when we stepped into the elevator, I set about on the mission. "Uh...Ranger?"

He turned to stare at me.

I breathed in deep. "I'm uh...sorry about the uh...thing from yesterday. I'm normally not that...aggressive. I really do appreciate you hiring me and...all that...so uh...sorry."

He didn't say anything for a minute. "I'm over it."

The elevator hummed upwards and I stood staring at him with an open mouth. The hell kind of reply was that? "You're OVER it?" I shook my head. "Noooooo, no, no, no. I'm supposed to apologize and then you're supposed to accept it!" Did I sound a tad bit childish? Ugh. The man could work me up by saying three words.

"You're right. You aren't aggressive at all."

I balled my hands into fists but didn't get to respond because the elevator doors came open and twenty pairs of eyes landed on me. I smiled halfheartedly.

Ranger stepped out. "Welcome to control central."

I blinked and glanced around. Control central included lots of screens, machines, chairs, desks and men dressed in black. And, at the moment, each man was staring at me.

"Men, this is Stephanie. Stephanie, men." Great introduction by Mr. Talks a lot.

I smiled nervously and kept right on Ranger's tail as he walked forward, passing by wandering eyes. These people shouldn't have been called men. They were obviously buffaloes.

By the time we made it across the room, the silence had once again been replaced by distant chatter and murmurs. I silently sighed in relief.

Ranger led me to a small cubicle. With a not so gracious wave, he announced, "Your work station."

I examined it. One computer that looked at least two centuries faster than mines, one desk, lots of papers stacked up, a phone, a headset, a printer, some file cabinets and a swivel chair. The walls of it were made out of cork board. "It looks wonderful." I muttered sarcastically, taking a seat.

Finally, he explained to me what exactly I was going to be doing. Turns out silent Ranger talked a BUNCH when it concerned work. He told me I'd be responsible for doing whatever it is that was assigned to me on the little stacks of paper pinned all over the board. These papers included searches on people, warrants, information, etc. I figured he'd give me a desk job. There was no way I'd work 'on the field' whatever that meant. He explained that this had recently been a man named Silvio's job and he was being assigned another spot but would be in here to teach me how to do the basics.

"Your work hours are nine to five unless I say otherwise and your pay can be discussed with my financial adviser who's coming here later on." He turned to look at me. "Anymore questions?"

"Do I have to carry a gun?"

"Not at the moment."

I suppose that was the closest I'd get to an answer so I nodded. I was ready to roll. I mentally cracked my knuckles and then froze. Was it just me or was it suddenly silent again?

"Are they okay?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows at the men who had, once again, abandoned their work to stare quizzically at me.

"You're the first woman who's been up here."

I gulped. "Any word of advice?"

Ranger turned to me and I could see the smile wanting to emerge, itching to spread across his face. "Don't drop the soap."

I laughed for a good minute before I realized he wasn't smiling anymore. With a worried expression, I watched him leave. Walking across the room and disappearing down the stairs. I turned to the other guys and waved, praying to the Lords that there really weren't any communal showers here.

An hour and a half later, I was bored.

Not just _bored_ bored but _extremely_ bored. Silvio had come in earlier, gave me the gist of things and then left. It wasn't really all that hard. Who knew that typing in a few words and printing the results was considered a job?

So, you couldn't blame me if I fell asleep, could you?

"Working hard on the first day, huh?"

I raised my head to stare drowsily at a very amused Lester. He was leaning on the wall of my tiny cubby with a sandwich in his hands. I licked my lips and he raised his eyebrows. "I don't like the way you're looking at me."

Probably because I wasn't looking at _him_. My eyes were set on that sandwich not that he was bad to look at. My stomach was just long overdue for a snack. He offered it to me and I took it without question. "Finally. Food."

"There's a break room right over there, you know." He laughed, pointing. I silently stored that in _need to know_ information, finishing off the sandwich in record speed. "Since you've _obviously_ been working so hard, how about a break?"

I squinted at him suspiciously. He was smiling and it looked genuine. I wasn't sure why I expected different. I guess I just wasn't use to big, bulky guys being nice to me. Not only that but he had cracked a joke. Or, I was quite sure it was a joke. I'd have to work on my tolerance to man humor in the near future. So, what the heck? I figured I needed to make some friends even if I strongly didn't want to. Nothing against any one of them but I was scared shit less of these men and my cubby felt secure. But, he asked nicely and there was no way I could turn him down.

His 'break' included showing me around the control room. Big whoop.

"See here; there are two banks of monitors." Lester explained. He placed his hand on the shoulder of the man who sat in front of one. "Benny here is watching and listening to the cameras positioned around the compound." He slapped a hand on the other male. "While Bobby here watches the activity right outside of the gates."

Both men turned to smile at me before turning back to the screens with blank expressions.

Lester smirked. "They love this job." He said sarcastically. I smiled. He pointed across. "Zero and Brett over there are monitoring private, security systems. We deal with select clients. And other there-"He pointed. "-Is Ceasar and Woody. They're watching and listening to police scanners while keeping an eye on the GPS screens that track Rangeman vehicles." He patted me on the shoulder. "And don't worry; you'll figure out everyone's names eventually."

"There's a code to it actually." Bobby spoke up, arms folded across his chest. "Like for instance, if someone fucks up on the job? That's Lester."

The man scowled at him. "I do not fuck up...all the time."

"How can you mess up?" I asked, shrugging. "All you guys do is watch monitors all day."

There was a frightening moment where every man on the floor stopped to spin around and stare at me with wide, surprised eyes. I held my breath. They were finally going to blow my brains out.

"Please don't let Ranger here you say that again." Came a voice from far away. "He'll be heartbroken."

They all started to laugh and I blinked, realizing that they were only joking. I rolled my eyes. Yep, it was going to take a while to fit in here.

"We're not confined to this building all day." Lester explained as soon as the silence passed. "We actually do go outside. We provide personal, commercial and residential security to our clients. Which means," He punched a fist against a hand. "If we must; we'll get up off our asses and take care of some scumbags."

"Scumbags?"

"He means FTAs, traces, traitors, drug lords, gangs." Zero called over. "Anything at all that jeopardizes our security system within the clients."

"I'd rather stay inside though." Lester added, smiling. "I hate being shot at."

He was joking again. I smiled, having a hard time believing that any man in here would turn up a chance to be shot at. Hell, they looked like they lived for that type of action. They had all probably been shot before. My smile vanished instantly when I caught on to a specific word Zero had said. FTAs? Now why did that sound familiar?

"He works for Vinnie!" I nearly screamed, eyes bugging out. I remembered now. FTA stood for failure to appear. Only one of the few things I learned while trying to coax my way into a job there. Figures. That explained why Connie knew Ranger.

Lester frowned quizzically at my outburst, evidently shocked by it. "Yeah. It's a side job. Rolls in some dough. Why?"

"He's my cousin. I tried to get a job there before I came here."

There was a beat of silence and then everyone chuckled. Suddenly, a man came storming over. I blinked in surprise and watched the man groan, dig in his pocket and throw a few dollars at Lester who accepted it with a shit eating grin. The man went back to his post and I recognized him. He was Hal. The guy who nearly freaked at my mere presence yesterday.

I turned to stare at Lester. His smile dropped a bit. "I bet him that you tried at Vinnie's. He didn't think you did."

"What's so surprising about that?" I asked, putting hands on hips.

"Oh hell-" Brett grimaced, staring at my waist. "She did the hands on hips thing. She's about to go off on us. Jersey style."

I resented that. I wasn't mad really. Just curious. "It's funny, that's all." Lester shrugged, smiling sheepishly. "To picture you as a bounty hunter."

Benny turned around in his seat, speaking up for the first time. "Fuck, it's down right hysterical to picture her at Rangeman but look at her now."

"I can only guess what the boss has in mind." Muttered a man who was sitting a few seats away. He was instantly ambushed with slaps on his forehead. I narrowed my eyes, knowing exactly what he had been implying.

"I'll have you all know that _the boss_ and I are in, no way, romantically involved."

"Yet." The same man was attacked again and he shut up.

"What my socially inept teammate is trying to say," Brett started, glaring at the guy. "Is that we're all surprised you're here and that the boss has to have some sort of soft spot for you."

I frowned. Yeah right. I couldn't picture Ranger with one soft spot on his entire body. Wrong choice of words in my subconscious. I found myself daydreaming about his body again and cursed. "I don't think he likes me at all."

"Stephanie, sweetheart, your skills about combat, computer programs and job interviews are severely lacking." Lester smiled, shrugging. I could see the humor running through his eyes. "Either the boss has a soft spot for you or you're one hell of a sorceress."

I opened my mouth to retort but stopped when my eye caught on something. I turned, leaned in over Benny without a moment of hesitation and felt anger well in my chest. Then a second blast of fury came.

On the screen, I could see Ranger. He was in the parking lot, walking towards the elevator doors.

And a woman was with him.

This wasn't an ordinary woman, however. This was a glossy haired-applied too much makeup-wearing virtually nothing woman. Why did this make me angry, you ask? Well I didn't know. The first surge of anger I felt was at the display and the second came because I _didn't_ know _why_ I was angry. I could make an assumption of why but there was no way I'd voice that aloud _or_ in my consciousness.

"So _that's_ what the boss does all day." I was aware of the edge in my voice and hated it.

Bobby, Lester and Benny followed my eyes to smile at the screen.

"You sound jealous."

"I'M NOT!" I screeched in Benny's face. I instantly retracted and felt my face burn. He only shrugged and did a palms up gesture.

"Not to worry." Bobby intervened, slouching back in his chair. "That there is Victoria Rodriguez. He contacts her for info."

I tried to be nonchalant. I tried to shrug it off and forge on with my day but the word came out before I could stop it. "Info?"

"On certain people who prove to be hard to find. Underground information. Illegal assortments." Lester shrugged. "The usual."

The usual? That was what they considered usual? I had never associated myself with a company that had to use contacts. What the hell kind of place were they running? Maybe Grandma Mazur was right. Maybe they were top secret agents in disguise. I turned back to the screen. The woman and Ranger were in the elevator now, going up. I felt my blood boil. She was all over him. "I guess he'll do _anything_ for information."

The guys blinked at me. "You've got it bad." Bobby laughed, shaking his head.

I snapped to look at him. "What?"

"Nothing."

When I turned back around, both Ranger and the woman were gone. "Wha-Where'd they go?"

They gave me wary stares. As if they didn't know if it was a good idea to tell me. "They went to the top floor." Lester finally said after a long minute. "There aren't any cameras up there."

"How many floors does this place have?"

"Seven. First floor is reception, of course. Two floors go to Rangeman employees. Another one goes to Ella and her husband, who's the property manager. Fifth floor, obviously, is control central here. The remaining are conference rooms and private offices and the seventh floor is..." He trailed off and the wary stares came back.

I mentally groaned and asked with a heavy sigh, "What? What is it?"

"Seventh floor is the boss' private apartment." Benny stated.

I sighed. I knew my reaction had to be appropriate. If I tried to act too relaxed, they'd see right through me. If I exploded, that'd probably confirmed someone else's bet. I needed to be professional. I needed to remain tactical. So I turned to them and said, quite brightly, "Maybe if she sucks hard enough, she'll get that stick out of his butt."

Real mature, I know.

Lester let out a burst of laughter and the other two smiled forcefully, clearly trying very hard to stifle their own laughter.

"I can't be absolutely positive," Said a voice to the right. "But I'm pretty sure he doesn't use her that way." We turned to see Binkie standing there, rubbing at his chin. He waved at us. "I've been ease dropping."

"PUH-LEASE." I'm not sure what the hell my problem was but I just couldn't let it go. "He's a man."

"Sometimes I wonder." Lester mumbled.

I gave him a questioning look and then my eyes widened and I gasped. "He's not...?"

All four men turned to stare at me with confusion before they all groaned and shook their heads. "He's not." Lester stated matter-of-factly.

"But you said-"

"I was referring to his unnatural abilities." He explained. "Like, for instance, how he appears out of thin air."

I smiled smugly, closing my eyes. "But do you know for _sure_ that he's not gay?"

Once again, the room went silent. There were no gasps, no groans, just complete silence. Leave it to a bunch of men to get worked up over the G word. When I opened my eyes, I finally saw that everyone was staring behind me. I knew who it was before I even turned around. Lester had been right. He was a fucking genie. Cursing silently, I spun to smile tightly at Ranger.

He had his arms folded across his chest with that same damn no nonsense expression masking his face. The one that always terrified the shit out of me. His eyes bored into mines. I waved sheepishly. "Nice to see everyone is working efficiently."

Lester laughed nervously and slunk away while everyone else went back to work, leaving me under Ranger's gaze. I took a tiny step back. He stared at me until I said, "They were just showing me around the place."

"How generous of them."

I don't know what it was. Maybe it was the arrogant way he stood, or the flat tone or his voice or the fact that I was still angry about _being_ angry at seeing him with that woman. Shit, maybe it was some sort of toxic fume leaking into my brain. Either way, the next words out of my mouth were just not smart. "How was the quickie?"

There was a collective inhale of breath out of every man on the floor. It would have been pretty cool to witness if I wasn't in this predicament. Ranger stared at me and I saw the slight flash in his eyes. I'm not sure what the flash demonstrated. It could have been fury, amusement, pain. There was no way to tell with this guy. And, I suppose, that was one reason I made the statement.

Only I, Stephanie Plum, would inappropriately make a comment about her deadly but handsome boss's sex life to see a rise out of him.

I suppose I went a tad bit too far.

"In my office." It was a command, no doubt about it. I almost thought about telling him that he couldn't order me around but knew better. He was the boss after all so that did give him the privilege. "_Now_." Then he turned and walked away, disappearing inside a door on the far side of the room that could have only been his office.

I bit my lip. I could see eyes on me while I followed after him. Some were concerned stares, some were filled with amusement and others were just shaking their heads as if to say I'd meet my end pretty soon. All of them freaked me out.

I was hoping I wouldn't get fired on my first fucking day on the job.

But I was _really_ hoping that I'd walk out of here with functioning legs.

* * *

A/N: Hello there. Just a quick word. Most of the things Lester explained, I got right out of the book and worded differently. Sorta. I kinda figured that Ranger wouldn't just throw her into combat without experience. So she got the desks job. Just like in…Eleven on top?

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this. More will come soon. More Ranger, action and lovin'. LOL. Love all your reviews. Keep them coming.


	4. Chapter Three

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Chapter Three

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"Oh hey-this place is cozy. I bet you can barely get any work done. I know I'd sleep all day, haha."

Ranger didn't laugh. Shit, he didn't even smile, didn't even_ flinch_. My smile fizzled down to a half sincere, uneasy twist of the mouth. My attempt at breaking the tension all but succeeding. He had closed the door as soon as I entered, warding off curious gazes and was now leaning on the wide desk in the middle, arms folded across his chest loosely while he stared at me with those terrifying but captivating dark eyes. It was crazy to imagine but it felt like they contrasted in themselves. As if they propelled me forward yet halted me before I got too close. Those eyes were trouble.

The walls must have been freaking soundproof because there was nothing filling the air but a deafening silence that had me sweating. Here I was, standing a few feet away from his relaxed posture, looking dumb with my hands at my sides and legs ramrod stiff for fear that he'd shoot me if I bolted, took a seat or even sneezed. His eyes weren't helping my sweat glands. How the hell could he last so long without blinking?

While the staring contest continued, my common sense shrieked at me. It kept telling me how much of a fool I was for having so little self control and that, if I did get fired, the blame would be solely on me. I agreed. I knew I'd have to restrain from saying those little remarks that always seem to land me in trouble next time.

IF there was a next time.

_Now or never Stephanie. Redeem yourself. _

"Okay uh...I'm going to go ahead and say what you've obviously been waiting for." I breathed in deep and then let it out in gush. "I'm sorry about my comments. They were completely unprofessional and juvenile of me."

His eyebrows twitched upwards. I suppose it was his way of encouraging me to continue so I did.

"I'm just a little sugar depraved." I laughed nervously. "I just need some doughnuts or something. It won't happen again."

"You're right."

FINALLY! The man spoke. Without noticing, I let out a huge breath of relief. He didn't sound mad. Just unbelievably bland. "So, we're good?"

"Peachy."

"Oh…wow, I didn't think you'd take it that well." I smiled, feeling a lot better. "But I mean come on, it's my first day. It's understandable that you cut me some slack."

"You're absolutely right."

I blinked. "I am?" I wasn't use to be agreeing with me. Especially not in situations where I was totally in the wrong.

"Of course." Ranger's shoulders raised a fraction. "It was just a harmless joke."

I nodded my head vigorously. "Right! It was! Man," My shoulders slouched. "I can't believe you're this cool about it. And here I thought you were strict."

"Who me? Strict?" One of his eyebrows raised and he shook his head once. "Nonsense."

"You know, you aren't so bad." I grinned. "Sorry about my snap judgments. Guess I shouldn't judge a book by its cover." Haha. Weird phrase to use. Ranger a book? Right. If he was, he'd be a novel with a lot of indiscernible words.

"And yet you're doing it again." He pushed himself off the desk and came to stay in front of me.

I furrowed my eyebrows and stared up at him warily. "Doing what again?"

"Making snap judgments." He stated, an almost indistinguishable edge to his tone. "Be here tomorrow at five."

I stared. "What?"

"Five, tomorrow. Here at Rangeman." He stared towards the door. "We're going to spending a few hours in the gym."

My eyes widened and my mouth came open. GYM? I grabbed his wrist out of desperation and he turned around. "I don't mix well with exercise!"

His eyes traveled down to the hand I had wrapped around his wrist and I instantly let go, stepping back bashfully. He glanced back up to meet my gaze. "You should have thought about that before you decided to dip into my sexual escapades."

I groaned and couldn't resist the large roll of my eyes. Figures. The nice guy routine had just been an act. The eye of the storm. Moment of peaceful tranquility before the lion struck. He wasn't letting me go with a warning. This was punishment. "What the hell happened to all that 'we're cool' stuff?"

"You and I being cool has nothing to do with this." Ranger said, his face transforming more into boredom than indifference. "You just jumped to conclusions and assumed that I wouldn't reprimand you."

"But-but-"I stuttered out, shaking my head. "I thought it was just a _joke_? HA HA?" I asked in exasperation. There was nothing in the world I hated more than working out. My body was just not build for it and I'd do anything to keep from having to wake up at five o'clock to come here and do that.

"Undermining me in front of my men is no laughing matter."

My mouth came open again but, this time, it wasn't out of surprise. I was pissed. "OH GREAT! So this is about your ego and 'reputation'?" I asked, using air quotes to belittle the last word of my sentence.

"No." His voice lowered. "This is about showing you my zero tolerance for _'jokes'_."

"OH WHATEVER!" I was aware of his dangerously narrowed eyes and fierce gaze but I wasn't worrying about it. My mouth was going off again and I wasn't bothering to stop it. "I bet if it was one of the guys, you'd let them off without a word of protest."

Ranger laughed.

It was so unexpected, I nearly fainted. Not only was it my first time hearing the sound emit from his mouth but it was the first time I saw a smile that big on his face. It vanished almost as soon as it appeared however, sputtering down to the calm expression he held before. "No, the guys are smart enough not to get caught."

With a nice groan of disbelief, I spun around. "Right. I guess I'll just have to settle for being the subject of whatever example you're trying to set. Whether it be picking on the only female or showing off your oh so mighty woman prowess to keep them all under your iron fist."

I started forward but was abruptly deterred by Ranger who had flashed in front of me so fast, it almost looked inhuman. The display managed to bring a short shrill yell out of me before I stumbled backwards. All trace of amusement was gone from his face and was replaced by a type of anger I hadn't witnessed before. An anger that I wouldn't have noticed if not for the fire in his eyes, blazing brightly. I cursed mentally. I had struck yet another nerve.

"You're gender didn't get you into this mess, Stephanie. Your mouth did." He lowered his head to stare straight into my eyes, a frown hovering over his lips. "Now how would I look if I let you walk out of here scot free? My men both respect and trust me. I don't play favorites, I don't let the organization falter and I sure as hell won't go easy on a new recruit because she's sugar deprived and her hormones are on the fritz." His eyebrow twitched. "You're lucky enough to be here in first place. You should be glad I'm such a nice man. But my _kindness_ only goes so far. When you're on duty, cut the horse play. Now," He motioned behind him. "If you don't want to abide by these rules then the door is right there. We'll try not to miss you too much."

I glared at him, trying to summon up all the venom I had in my body and send it into my eyes. My teeth were biting into my cheek to keep from speaking too erratically and my heart was beating. Why? I'm not sure. Maybe because I had a serious urge to punch this guy in his face? Or because he was close enough for me to see that he had a light scar running up the side of his forehead and I had the divergent urge to run my finger down it and then fumble through his silky hair strands? Do you see why I do the things I do? My mind is all over the place! It was all his dumb, stupid, handsome fault-

"So?" Ranger urged, his voice once again monotone.

There was only one way to go. If I lost this job, I'd be on the streets, simple as that. I really needed it. I depended on it. BUT, was it worth this? I had a feeling I'd be back in this office again, having to endure his silent, frightening wrath once more. Maybe it was just easier to quit now.

I let out the longest sigh in the history of sighs and even before I decided, I knew what I was going to say. "I understand." I muttered grudgingly, my eyes now locking onto the ceiling.

He straightened. "From now on, you address me as boss."

I snapped my neck back to stare incredulously at him. Was he serious? He was going way too far now. "What? But the others-"

"-Aren't on probation for their 'juvenile' behavior."

With clenched teeth, I strained out, "I understand,_ boss_."

Ranger brushed past me without so much as a smile or inclination of my defeat and pushed the door open, sending the many men, who had been trying to eavesdrop, scrambling all ways. He walked out, standing purposefully with his legs spread and hands clenched. "Stephanie's going to be doing some overtime." He announced to the star stricken men as I sluggishly went to stand beside him, glancing up at him suspiciously. "And she's _charitable _enough to give her extra pay to each of you."

I stifled a gasp, sounding, for the world, like a person with a chicken bone stuck in their throat. The guys blinked, surprised.

"Isn't that right?" Ranger was staring at me, daring me to object.

"Yes." I grumbled. His eyebrows raised and I growled, stating much louder, "Yes, _BOSS_."

There was a momentary beat of shocked silence where everyone just stared at Ranger and me with wide eyes. Then Lester stood up. I could tell by the look on his face that he was planning to do something out of character or, in this case, idiotic. Then again, could I talk? I was easily the biggest idiot here. Lester cleared his throat, appearing pained. With a strained effort, the man said, "Boss, I...I think you're being too hard on her."

More silence filled the room. Ranger's eyes narrowed and he stepped over to tower before his employee. "Is that so?" Lester nodded and I saw him gulp. "Well, if you think that way, it's only fair to give her a hand right? Would you like to do that?" He didn't wait for an answer. "Consider yourself on the night shift."

There was a snort of laughter. It was soft and, to me, completely untraceable but, as soon as the sound escaped into the air, Ranger called, without taking his eyes off of Lester, "Hal, would you like to join them?"

Hal, who looked downright petrified, said, "Oh no I-"

"You're working."

"Shit."

When Ranger turned to address the rest of his men, I saw Lester's sigh of relief. "Does anyone else want to make a comment?"

No one dared to move a muscle.

With that, _the boss_ walked away, climbing the steps and disappearing soon after.

As soon as he was well out of ear shot, I heard everyone sigh heavily.

"Holy shit." Someone exclaimed. "I've never seen him like that. I thought we were all going to die."

While everyone shared whatever thoughts were running through their mind throughout that tragic experience, Lester made his way over to me. For a man who now had to work overtime with no pay, he sure did look happy.

"I figured you'd want some help." He said as soon as he came to a stop before me, replying to the unannounced question I was sure to ask him. Then he grinned and it looked so cheerful, I couldn't help but smile too. He had done it on purpose, I realized. He had known full well he'd get punished for it. He was probably just trying to show off. Either way, it was sweet.

"Trying to be the hero, huh?" Brett asked, coming up behind us, hand wrapped around a bottle of water. "You were staring death in the face, you idiot. Here's a word of advice Stephanie," He turned to me. "Never, EVER, do what Lester just did."

"I admit; it was scary as hell. But," Lester held up his chin majestically. "I live for the thrill."

"Yeah well _you_ might but in no way am I looking forward to tonight." Hal complained, coming up behind Lester, a scowl on his face. "Ranger was beyond pissed." His eyes locked onto me. "What the hell did you do to get him so worked up?"

All of them looked at me and I scoffed. "I didn't do anything! He was the one being a total jackass."

They gave me unimpressed blinks.

"It's true!"

"Well, I suppose, it could have been worst." Brett shrugged.

"Yeah." Lester nodded. "He could have fired you. Or made you work out with him at the gym."

I groaned inwardly. I had almost forgotten about that. Five! In the morning? Ohhhhhhhh, that was going to be torture. The look on my face must have gave it away because the three of them 'Ohh'ed in unison.

"What time?" Hal asked.

"Five." I muttered tiredly. "Fucking five."

"Damn." Brett shook his head. "Overtime and then waking up at five? He must have been in one hell of a mood."

Lester smirked and I could see the sparkle in his eyes. The guy was getting a giant kick out of this. I'm glad someone was because I was ready to quit and go curl up in a ball on my bed until I was kicked out of the apartment. "Eh, I've seen worst." The man boasted, flexing his biceps.

"Here we go." Hal mumbled while Brett just walked away.

"One time," Lester continued, apparently ignoring their reactions. "He made me run laps for a straight day."

I gasped in horror. Twenty four hours of laps? God, I couldn't even imagine how exhausted _I'd _be. My legs would probably disintegrate.

"Yep." Lester smiled proudly, eating up my obvious shock. "Threw up thirty times. Tore a leg muscle. Had a stitch in my side for a good four days."

"Jesus." I rolled my eyes at his attempt at bravado. "What'd you do?"

"Snuck in a cheeseburger."

I felt my stomach flip and wrapped my arms around it. If that was all Lester did then God knows what he would make me do. "That's it?"

"Yep. Oh, which brings me to the topic of food. The boss doesn't allow sweet and/or fattening things in here. While we're on duty, we remain on a strict diet."

I moaned and clutched my forehead, suddenly feeling very light headed. "No tastykates?" I wheezed.

"None."

That was it. That was the last domino. I wobbled over to my cubby, struggling by a concerned looking Lester and slumped into the chair, putting my head between my legs. I could take the verbal abuse. I could get used to the men and their unorthodox behaviors. I could even learn to forgive Ranger for his brutal punishment.

But taking away tastykakes?

What kind of man would do that!

* * *

A/N: What do you think? Was Ranger too OOC? When I looked it over, I thought it was bit over dramatic. BAW. That's just me being my paranoid self. But let me know if you thought so/liked this chapter! I love all of your reviews and thoughts. Glad I could entertain you guys! :) More soon, babes!


	5. Chapter Four

A/N: I've got a new method! I don't read any reviews pertaining to the last chapter until I finish the next chapter. Dumb? Probably. But it gives me motivation, no? Yes.

Enjooooooooy.

* * *

Chapter Four

* * *

I've learned a few key things on my first day working at Rangeman.

For one: the guys working alongside me, my '_colleges_', were okay. Some a bit sadistic, some a little chauvinist, others a bit loud, most were usually quiet. All of them had their own sense of humor but, overall, they were cool.

Second; Me plus talking? BIG NO NO.

Third: I should always look behind me before I make an offensive and/or sarcastic comment

Four: The boss? He's the most withdrawn, complex, appealing, annoying man I knew. I'm serious here, people. He gave off vibes. Weird ones. Like Bad boys ones. Yeah, that's what it was. He was the bad boy of this century. Wore black, barely smiled, was gorgeous and could scare you shitless with a glance. Ranger was on a whole different atmosphere on another planet. A planet I didn't have directions to.

Five: Overtime at Rangeman was torture. Not only did I WASH the men's dirty clothes, I researched more than a billion people, washed the cars, cleaned the bathrooms, everything! Anything that I qualified for I suppose. I felt like a maid. The only relief was that both Hal and Lester had to do it all too.

Six: The boss I was talking about before? I think he enjoys making my life hell.

And seven: Getting in at twelve o'clock and then waking up at four to go work out didn't help my mood.

As I relayed these things to Rex, I took down a box of Fruit Loops. I confided in Rex because, no matter what, he was always on my side. Unlike my mother who'd point out it was my fault or my Grandma Mazur who'd make obscene comments or even my best friend from high school, Mary Lou, who'd probably beg me to take her down to see this place I worked at. Which reminds me, I needed to call her.

Anyway, Rex didn't judge me or make me feel bad. And, even if he knew I was to blame, Rex never said anything. You see, even now when I looked like hell with bloodshot, bag lined eyes and messy hair and wrinkled exercise clothes,_ even now_ Rex didn't make a sound.

I finished off my breakfast and peered in at the hamster. He was lying on his side, his little belly heaving up and down, eyes closed.

_Yeah_, I thought while I grabbed my keys, _Rex understood me_.

* * *

Seeing Ranger in the daylight was scary enough. But having to walk up to him in the mid morning dawn made him even more daunting. He was a good three inches taller than me and easily more muscular. Did I forget to mention he was dressed in black shorts and a black beater? Because he was. And that only made me feel worst. Here I was; a perfect example of why Jersey women shouldn't wake up at this unreasonable hour and then there he was; a picture of perfectly composed, sinewy muscled, smooth brown skinned perfection.

Maybe if I just insulted him again, he'd beat my ass into a coma and I could get some sleep.

"You're late." Was Ranger's greeting as I came to stand before him in the garage.

I glanced at my watch and then back at him, too tired to give him a wide eyed stare. "I'm a _minute_ late."

"A minute can determine life or death."

What? WHAT? Had this guy survived some sort of catastrophe that always put him at edge? When the HELL could a minute determine life or death? He sounded like a drill Sergent. "Can we just get this over with? My butt is still asleep."

"I'm sure we can awaken it. What little there is."

I gave him my best '_get bent_' look and followed after as he walked towards the elevator and got in. I tried not to let it bother me but, truthfully, his comment stung a tad. I mean, I'm a pretty good looking gal. No, I'm not the most beautiful and I might not have silicone induced double D's and I don't spray my hair with chemicals to make it stand up straight but my body is okay, my face is alright and I like my naturally curly brown hair. Was it my fault my butt wasn't the size of Mt. Rushmore? I was white. What did he expect? Did he like bigger ones?

I groaned low in my throat. Great. Now I was analyzing every single thing he said about me. I had never been this self conscious before. Once again it was his stupid arrogant dumb ass fault.

I turned to tell him this, against my better judgment of just letting it go but the elevator doors came open and I laid my eyes on the gym.

I groaned aloud this time.

"I hope that's a groan of delight."

Yeah, right. I stepped out after him and surveyed the horrendous prison I'd be staying in for the next few hours. I knew what to expect. I was just hoping I had thought wrong. But, lo and behold, I was standing inside of some sort of tricked out, deluxe gym for men who wanted muscles that weighed a billion tons.

My worst nightmare had come to life.

There were treadmills, bikes, weights, a basketball court, a fucking climbing wall and lots of other complicated things I had seen on infomercials but never paid mind to. This, I thought with disdain, was the cause of the sixty steroid-looking men who worked here. This was Hell in physical form.

"You look pale." Ranger stated, giving me a sideways glance. I could see the smile flickering on his lips. The bastard was enjoying this. "Don't tell me you're afraid of a little bit of exercise."

"I bruise very easily." I wheezed, cringing at a fitness item to the right.

"You can't bruise yourself exercising."

"You'd be surprised."

He turned away and glanced around the room. "We'll start you off easy then." He nodded towards treadmill. "That good enough for you?"

Not at all. My legs weren't designed to run. "I...uh...no."

Ranger stared at me. "You need to get in shape, babe."

I was about to retort with something along the lines of 'I don't want to gain muscles on top of muscles' but an idea popped into my head, making my eyes light up. "You know...maybe we can do this another time." I moaned, holding my stomach. "I think I got cramps."

His eyes bored into mines and I saw the smile twitch at lips. "Nice try."

"I'm serious!"

His eyebrows raised a bit.

"Forreal! My stomach is _reallyyyyy_ hurting."

"Good. Then maybe you won't notice as much when you're legs start cramping." He pointed to the treadmill again.

With a few choice curse words, a stomp of the foot and a look of defeat, I slumped my way over to it. That had been my last chance. There was no getting out of it now. Working over time had just been a little teaser. This was the real punishment. This was my doomsday!

"How the hell do you work this thing!" I grumbled, staring at it suspiciously.

Ranger, who was now sitting on a bench and strapping on cut off gloves, called out, "You just turn it on and run."

Sounded easy enough. I squinted at the electronic base in the front, turned a dial and watched the floor of the treadmill wind up and then race faster. With an accomplished smile, I hopped on.

A second later, I promptly flew off of it, tripping over my own feet and landing in a heap on the floor behind it, moaning in pain. I could hear laughter through my dizzy haze and clenched my teeth angrily.

"I guess I forgot to tell you, you're supposed to get on_ first_ and then turn it on."

I growled.

Asshole.

* * *

An hour later, I was about ready to die and, if not, faint.

I was running on the tread at its lowest speed and was still sweating profusely, heaving and gulping in air to salvage my precious lungs that were, at the moment, on fire. Let's not forget I had only gotten three or four hours of sleep and could barely keep my eyes open.

And Ranger was loving it. Loving_ MY_ misery! He was lifting weights off to the side but I had seen his eye wander over to me more than once followed by a shake of his head, a chuckle or a smile. I realized he was in a much better mood than yesterday. We hadn't gotten into a big argument and I hadn't said anything dumb yet so we were off to a good start. Actually, he was cracking way more jokes than before. About me and my pathetic attempt at exercise albeit but jokes nonetheless.

That hadn't stopped his reserved side from appearing a few minutes ago however, basking the room in silence except for my heavy breathing. With a quick intake of breath, I shut the thing off and stood there, hanging onto it for support so I wouldn't crumple to my knees. Whether he liked it or not, I was taking a break.

He didn't mind apparently. He didn't even take his eyes off of the floor while he continued to lift weights one hand at a time. I knew from my limited experience here that they were called cowbells.

Or something like that. Cowbells, yowbells, dumbbells, all the same thing.

I watched him lift them. Over and over again. The muscles in his arms straining, stretching. The grit of his teeth. The concentrated expression on his face. Once again, I was pulled into that damn gravitational aura he seemed to release. The one that had the contrasting force field, shielding anyone from looking too deep but dragging them in enough to keep them interested.

The spell didn't free me when he suddenly glanced up and met my gaze. Actually, it yanked me in farther. Leaving me speechless under his eyes.

"Stopping already?"

Finally, the trance broke and I said, "Just taking a break." My voice sounded foreign and breathless to my own ears and I got a feeling it wasn't because of my hard work out.

He reached behind him and grabbed a bottle of water, throwing it at me. I caught it and slouched right down on the treadmill, gulping it all down in minutes. Ranger's mouth twitched. "Strong throat muscles."

I froze. "Wha?"

He just ignored me and continued to lift the weights. A few minutes of silence passed where I sat there, leaning my head against the pole on the mill, my eyes closed, my mind pretty much blank. My legs were hurting, I had a stitch in my side and I had a massive headache. I probably couldn't rival Lester's state after his penalizing work out but I damn sure felt some pain. Then again, Ranger wasn't being aggressive or strict at all. For heaven's sake, the man was letting me take a break. I thought for sure he'd work me until my bones withered down to nothing. Just another intricate thing about him I couldn't seem to explain.

"You've made friends with the guys quickly."

My eyes snapped open, staring at the source of the sudden break in the calm atmosphere. Ranger wasn't looking at me but he had abandoned the weights to do sit ups. I furrowed my eyebrows in suspicion. "I guess so..."

"Any particular guy your favorite?"

My mouth came open a bit but the only thing that came out was a squeak of disbelief. From the time around him, I didn't think Ranger was one for small talk, let alone, small talk about who I _liked_. I narrowed my eyes. The last time he acted nice, it backfired and he went off on me. I wasn't going to fall for that again. "Why do you care?"

He sat up and his shoulders rose in a shrug. "Just a question."

I stared. "What do you want to know?"

"Nothing. I was just starting a conversation."

"Why? You never tried before."

"A man can't change?"

I gave him an incredulous look. He was joking. A mischievous glint was in his eye. "You have the weirdest mood swings."

"I don't have mood swings." He laughed, laying back. "Because that would suggest I have feelings and I don't."

I rolled my eyes, completely dismissing that last comment. "Of course not. So what is it then? What made you ask that?"

Ranger came back up, shaking his head. "I was just being civil."

"Stop it. You're not good at it."

I watched him drop down to do another sit up, seemingly unfazed by my bold statement. The next words out of his mouth came a few beats later, "You and Lester seem close."

I blew out a sigh. "And?"

"Just an observation."

I squinted at him, taking in his indifferent face. Something was off, I could just feel it. Ranger was trying to figure out something and I didn't know...My eyes widened. Of course! It was so obvious. So obvious, in fact, it was unbelievable. I turned to smirk at him, wondering if it was a good idea to say it aloud or not. Either I could be right and he bashfully agrees or I was wrong and he makes me look like a fool before throwing me out of a window.

"You're jealous of Lester."

I was hoping it was my first thought.

Ranger paused, turned to stare at me and then stood up to wipe his face off with a towel. "Run that by me again."

"You're jealous because Lester and I are friends." I taunted, folding my arms across my chest.

He smiled. "Is that what you think?" I nodded. "And do tell why I would care who you're friends with."

"It's not who _I'm_ friends with. It's who Lester's friends with. You're mad he likes me."

"Oh so he likes you now?"

"As a friend; yes."

"So let me get this straight," Ranger started, amusement thick in his tone. "I'm jealous of Lester for being friends with you?"

"Yep."

"It's obvious our time together has taught you nothing about me."

WELL DUH! It's not like he offered to tell me a great deal of information. I frowned, my enthusiasm at the realization dwindling down. Damn it. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe he _had_ just been being nice."Well then what was with the third degree about Lester and me?"

"It was _just_ a question." He repeated.

I puffed up my cheeks. There was no way I'd let this go. "Bullshit. If there was one thing I _did_ learn about you from our 'time together', I know you don't randomly ask about two employees' relationship. What? Are you afraid we'll get involved? Don't want to jeopardize your company? Want to fire me for mixing business with pleasure? What is it?" I was aware of my vicious tone. I guess that was the effect of being embarrassed after my mouth, once again, set me in a bad situation.

Ranger put hands on hips and gave me a bored look. "You have a very big ego."

I gaped at him. ME! I had the big ego! "What! YOU'RE the one who walks around with the expectation that everyone should fall to their knees and kiss your feet." I turned up my nose at him. "I bet you _also_ expect every woman to faint at your presence too."

"Do I really?" He mocked, eyebrows raised.

"Yes, _really_. Like that lipstick galore woman you were in the elevator with." As soon as the words escaped from my mouth, I cursed. I needed to nail my lips together.

Ranger didn't explode however. He smiled. "Now we see who's really the jealous one."

"WHAT!" I exclaimed, sending him a glare. "I AM NOT jealous!"

"You sound pretty jealous to me."

"Well then apparently, our time together has taught you nothing about _me_." I countered, resisting the urge to stick out my tongue.

"Is that so, Stephanie Plum?" Ranger asked, walking over to loom over me. "I guess I wouldn't know you're thirty or that you live at the apartment complex on St. James and Dunworth or that you used to be married."

My eyes widened and I snapped my neck up to stare at him with absolute disbelief and a bit of fear. "How-how do you know all of that?"

"I had you investigated." He stated with a calm voice.

I shot to my feet, anger bubbling inside me. "INVESTIGATED! Who gave you the right!"

"It's standard protocol for all new employees."

"You've never told me that!"

"I'm telling you now.

"You can't invade my privacy like that!" I was already dead set on screaming no matter what his explanation was. Investigated? People actually did that? I held back a shudder. Now that I knew about it, I felt...watched. My business was my business. No one else should know about what goes on in my life without my knowledge.

"I had to ensure you were mentally stable, financially independent, if you had past prison records." He was saying it as if it was nothing. As if digging into my background wasn't that big of a deal. In retrospect, I suppose I wouldn't have been so angry if not for _one thing_.

"So that justified your actions?" I strained out through clenched teeth. "Just protecting your company as always?" He didn't reply. "It's none of your business what I've done in the past."

"And, trust me, I couldn't care less." Ranger spat back, leveling his tone with mines. "But I'd rather not figure out someone was a kleptomaniac _after_ they robbed me of my possessions."

Fine. It _was_ a good plan, now that I thought about it. It entitled he wouldn't get fooled by anything suspicious but I still didn't approve. I bit my lip to keep from voicing anymore of my thoughts on the subject. He was just being a good boss, I reassured myself, he was being thorough. I stepped back and sat down on the treadmill again to show him I was done arguing and he stepped back as well, taking a seat back on the bench. Another cloud of silence engulfed us. An awkward, tense one.

"How'd he propose?"

I looked up. "What?"

"Dickie. Your ex-husband. How'd he propose?"

I stared at Ranger with rage filled eyes, trying to spot a falter of his expression, a twitch of his lips, anything that told me he was amused but saw nothing. He was strictly serious, focusing on me with probing eyes.

This was the '_one thing_'. Dickie Orr was indeed my ex-husband and he was a part of my past I'd rather kept locked up and hidden away. The fact that Ranger knew about him at all sent a lot of fury running through my blood. "I'm not sure you could even call what he did a proposal."

He looked away, obviously sensing my anger. "I'm guessing the divorce wasn't pretty."

"You'd guess right."

"Can I ask what caused it?"

That sounded exceptionally weird coming from him. I never thought he'd ask_ me_ for permission about anything. "He cheated on me." I stated blandly.

Ranger nodded as if he could see that happening and for a moment, I saw a flash of red appear before my vision. "He doesn't sound too bright."

I blinked. Hadn't been expecting those words. "Really?" I asked sarcastically, not believing his words for a second.

Ranger turned back to stare at me and I could see the smile on his face. "If he cheated on you then yes. _Really_."

Was there a way to answer that? I swallowed hard and felt my face flush. Had I just been imagining it? Did he honestly imply that cheating on me was a dumb thing to do? Which meant what? He thought I was a catch? Wife material? _Attractive_? I rolled my eyes. Here I go again, getting worked up off of nothing but words. "Oh _boss_," I joked with a grin. "Are you trying to seduce me by acting nice _again_?"

He laughed. "I don't need to _act_ to seduce you." Yeah and I'm the one with the ego?

I looked at him with an unimpressed expression. "Right. Because I'll just fall for your oh so witty charm? Sorry to tell you but I'm not going to trip all over myself to get to you like other women and my knees don't wobble when you enter a room." Not a lot anyway.

Ranger stood up and crossed over to me in less than three strides, crouching down on his hunches to stare right into my eyes. I felt my heartbeat skip and all air evacuated my lungs. "Really? So if I were to kiss you right now, you'd just shrug it off?"

It took me a moment to both comprehend his question and form a sentence but when I did, all that came out was, "I thought you didn't encourage mixing business with pleasure."

He gave me a wolfish smile that sent chills up my back. "There's an exception to every rule."

That was right around the time I passed out.


	6. Chapter Five

A/N: Long chapter AHOY!

But, besides that guys, I've got something to tell you all: School starts next week.

Bogus, I know. This means I won't be updating as frequently. *sad face* Just wanted to let you all know! Hope you enjoy this.

* * *

Chapter Five

* * *

I awoke to darkness and a woman.

The darkness came first followed by a temporary stinging of my eyes when light suddenly flooded the air and then the woman appeared. She was short, plump, dark haired and was carrying a tray. I squinted my eyes as she got closer but couldn't put a name to the face.

Confusion entered my brain while I watched her place the tray on a desk. I could see there was food on it. I trailed my eyes from her and surveyed my location. Dark walls, dark drawers, dark curtains. I furrowed my eyebrows and flexed my fingers, feeling a cold, smooth fabric beneath me. Glancing down, I realized I was sitting on a bed with silky, creamy sheets.

Dark room. Comfy ass bed. A strange woman. Tray of food.

This sure as hell wasn't my bedroom.

"Where am I?" I asked. My voice sounded hoarse and husky with sleep. The bad thing was...I didn't remember going to sleep. Especially not here...wherever _here_ was.

She turned to me with a gracious smile. "Mr. Manoso's apartment."

I blinked. "Who?"

She bit her lip and stared at me with concern as if I was the crazy one but suddenly smiled again. "Oh right. You know him as Ranger."

It occurred to me then that I really hadn't known the man's name until now. And, even now, I only know his last name. Hmmm. Manoso? That sounded…foreign.

"His full name is Ricardo Carlos Manoso. But he prefers Ranger." The woman's continuation of the explanation gave me the impression that I had spoken aloud and I smiled bashfully. "I'm Ella." She introduced, nodding.

Recognition overwhelmed my senses and I nodded. Ella Guzman. Right. So this was the notorious housekeeper that, supposedly, made the best cookies around Trenton. Whenever she was allowed, that was.

"Why am I here again?" The past hours had abandoned me. I remember falling asleep after long hours of overtime and that was it. Now, I was waking up to Ella in Ranger's private apartment. His dark, almost menacing apartment with unnaturally, orgasmic velvety sheets…

"Mr. Manoso brought you up here after your…fall."

Fall? When had I fallen? I don't-

_"Really? So if I were to kiss you right now, you'd just shrug it off?"_

I couldn't help but groan as the memory came crashing back. I _had_ 'fallen' or, in actuality, I had passed out. In the gym. In front of Ranger. Right before he implied kissing me. Great. I groaned again, putting my head in my hands and shaking it.

"You shouldn't feel bad." Ella told me, wrenching my hands away to feel my forehead. "With lack of rest and excessive exercise; it's a wonder you hadn't passed out sooner."

Easy for her to say. She hadn't been the one to make a complete fool out of herself. Yes, technically, I fainted because my body was obviously not use to working out especially on a near empty stomach and little sleep. I'm sure that was quite obvious. I had literally felt the freaking melt down before it happened.

But, that alone, wasn't going to stop Ranger. After I made a comment about the trances he put on women? After I claimed I didn't swoon when he walked by? After I pretty much attacked his ego and mocked his charm?

Yeah. Ranger was going to have a field day with this.

"You should eat." Ella instructed, pointing to the tray. "And rest a little more if you're feeling woozy. I'll tell Mr. Manoso you're up. He was pretty worried about your state."

My eyes widened and I sat up. "Worried?"

Ella turned around as soon as she made it to the bedroom door and grinned. "He didn't mention it but I think he felt like it was his fault." Then she was gone, humming softly to herself.

I blinked and laid back on the fluffy pillows again, eyebrows creasing inward. Worried that it was his fault? The warm fuzzy feeling in my chest was too strong to dismiss. I hadn't expected that at all. What in the world could cause that rock of a man to worry? It wasn't like I went into a coma. I bet I wasn't even out for-

_Holy smokes_! I exclaimed loudly in my head as soon as I caught sight of the clock on the bedside desk. It was five o'clock _pm_! I had slept for 12 hours! I put a hand to my forehead and massaged it. Jeez. I never slept that long...normally...sometimes. My stomach grumbled and I obliged it, reaching out to grab an item off of the tray. I retracted my hand to smile at the food, planning to relish it.

My smile instantly dropped.

An apple?

I sat up, peeked over at the tray and grimaced. Besides my apple, there was celery, carrots, a granola bar, unsalted crackers, green tea and vegetable soup. What the hell! This was supposed to fill me up? Was this even edible? Where was the beer? The pizza? The cake!

I threw the apple down and angrily got to my feet. Right. Mr. _Manoso_ didn't eat anything that was a danger to his perfectly toned muscled body. And God forbid Ella make a cake for big fat me. It wasn't like it was a big problem. With the gym they had, I could eat anything and still remain in shape. Of course, I'd have to get into shape _first_.

I peeked out of the bedroom and glanced around.

Something had just dawned on me.

_I was in Ranger's apartment_!

This was where he ate, slept, entertained woman, took showers...undressed!

I rolled my eyes and tip toed out. I was being immature again. It wasn't that big of a deal. He wasn't all_ that_. It wasn't like he was a super hero or something. He was just a man who liked the color black and had a very standoffish attitude.

Wait, wasn't that the MO of Batman...?

I inspected the kitchen with wide eyes. Nicely put together. Stainless steel stove. Clean surfaces. Pretty, Earth tone colors. Cabinets filled with horse shit.

Well, not real horse shit. Just unsweetened, nonfattening foods.

So yeah, horseshit.

The next room I checked out was the living room that opened up into the foyer. Big T.V, comfy looking couch, nice rug, dark colors. The masculinity radiating off of each room was palpable. I backtracked back to the bedroom and entered the connecting bathroom. Nice, dark blue, clean of course. I opened the shower and craned my neck to look all around it. No bars of soap, no washcloth. Just a bottle of body wash. I smiled excitedly, caught myself and then grabbed it, taking a whiff.

The answer to Ranger's delicious scent had been answered.

Stepping back into the bedroom, I glanced around. I felt like there was something I was missing. Something I desperately needed to see. My eyes slowly locked onto the dressers.

_No! I couldn't invade the man's privacy like that._

Although...he had invaded mines...

_No! No! This was the guy's underwear!_

But I just wanted to see if he was a Boxers or Briefs man...

_What if he catches you!_

It's not like he'll kill me...he's feeling guilty.

_How do you know! He could go psycho on you!_

It'd be worth it.

_Don't be dumb!_

In the end, my curiosity won out and I slowly moved towards the dresser, mentally cracking my knuckles. I'm not sure why but I was anxious. I had a distinct image of opening it and then a bomb exploding. What was the worst possible thing that could happen...besides the bomb?

He was a Briefs man?

I grabbed the knob, pulled it open and closed my eyes tight. With a deep breath, I peeked down at the contents.

Nothing.

My face flushed.

He went commando?

"Wouldn't you like to know." An oh so familiar voice boomed from behind.

With a shriek, I slammed the drawer shut and spun around, flattening myself against the furniture and staring at the form of Ranger. He was in all black with his arms folded across his chest, hair slicked back and sunglasses adorning his face. I pushed against the dresser even more. Somewhere in my brain, I was hoping my skin would turn to putty so I could squeeze in between the cracks and disappear.

But that'd put me in his empty drawer!

I felt my face heat up again at the thought and the realization that he had heard me question his underwear aloud. Oh crap. If he exercised me to death for speaking about his 'sexual escapades' then God only knew what he'd do to me for snooping through his drawers.

Ranger, who was standing by the door, didn't move. I couldn't see his eyes so I wasn't sure what he was feeling. The only indication I received was a twitch of his mouth. It was tiny, slight and totally indistinguishable. For all I knew, he had to sneeze.

"You look better."

I didn't move or respond. Hell, I wasn't even sure I was breathing.

He unfolded his arms and must have sensed my distress because he stated, "I'm not going to shoot you."

Yeah well that didn't rule out the other twenty ways he could bodily injure me.

Ranger took off the sunglasses and I could see the glint of amusement in them. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

I bit my lip.

He tilted his head back. "Babe, you're going to have to reply because I'm not use to being the talkative one."

"I hadn't noticed." I wheezed out, trying to smile. It came out as a grimace. Ranger raised his eyebrows and I slowly got to my feet. "Uh...your room is pretty."

"Glad you think so."

"And uh...I like your kitchen."

"You've covered all the bases, huh?"

I blushed and tried to sound indifferent as I said, "It's not what it looked like. I wasn't searching for your underwear." My voice came out more squeaky and fearful than I hoped.

"So what were you doing?"

"Checking for termites." _WHAT!_ That was the best I had?

Ranger smirked. He found me amusing. "Thank you then."

I didn't make a move to walk towards him. No way Jose. I wasn't an idiot. I suspected he was waiting for me to drop my guard to take me down. Instead, I slowly skirted around him to sit down slowly on the bed, eyeballing him warily. As soon as I sat down however, the sheets took me in and I sighed in content, lying back automatically.

"Like my bed too?" The taunt in his voice was apparent.

I wanted to reply back with something sarcastic but all that came out was a groan of "Yes." Which, in retrospect, was probably the worst way to respond at the moment. It wasn't my fault. The sheets felt _soooo_ good.

Ranger laughed and came to sit down on the edge of the bed, keeping a good distance from me which left me sighing in relief as well. He started to unbuckle his boots. "Surprisingly enough, it's not many a day a woman faints right in front of me."

_Here we go. _"Yeah right." I said sarcastically. "Go ahead. Make jokes. I've braced myself."

He held up his hands. "No jokes here."

"Look, I know you've probably been rehearsing some. Just lay it on me. What? Am I too weak to resist your good looks so I pass out?"

"Mine would have been much clever than that."

I squinted my eyes at him. "So you're not here to make fun of me?"

His eyebrows rose slowly and he stood up. "Babe, you passed out. I came to make sure you were alright."

I blinked in astonishment. "Wait-so you were really worried?"

"Of course I was." I felt my heart flutter and watched him as he started to the bathroom door and turned around at it. I could see the smile struggling to surface. "I was worried I couldn't lift you by myself."

I never experienced a delayed reaction before. At first I just sat staring at the closed bathroom door, mouth opened in a wide smile. Then, very gradually, the smile turned into a frown and my eyes narrowed angrily. I got up and stomped over, pounding on it. "THAT'S NOT FUNNY!"

"You're right." He called back, voice muffled. "_Hilarious_ is a more accurate description."

"You know, it's YOUR fault I fainted in the first place!"

"It's my fault I intimidate you?"

_ARGH_. I ground my teeth together. I knew it was coming. I just _knew_ it. "You do not-That's not why I fainted and you _know_ it!"

"Do I?" That damn annoying mock was back in his voice. The same one that drove me insane.

"Yes you DO! I passed out from not having enough _SLEEP_ because my _boss_ is a workaholic MANIAC! I passed out from not eating because my _boss_ doesn't allow real FOOD in the workplace. I passed out from OVEREXERTION because, once again, my _boss_ is a health freak that is paranoid about his body even though it's already nicely shaped! _It was all your fault_." I spat out the last words through clenched teeth, glaring at the door with blazing eyes. There was no way he'd insult my weight and expect to skip off scot free. I'd have my vengeance! Whether it was a small shouting match or a bout that lead to me getting fired. I'd _HAVE_ IT!

The bathroom door swung open and I held my ground, preparing to win this verbal battle.

"You think my body is nicely shaped?"

I suppose I should have answered. That was what you did when someone asked you a question, right? I couldn't remember.

Probably because Ranger was looming before me without a shirt on and his pants low on his hips.

Oh yes, his body was shaped _veryyy veryyy _nicely.

I tore my gaze away from his chest and lock onto his eyes. He was smiling. "Why the hell are you half naked!" When embarrassed, exert rage.

"I was going to take a shower."

"With me in the next room!"

"I'm sorry. Is there a _law _against that?"

I huffed because I didn't have a clever and/or logical response. "You should be more considerate!"

"It's not like I was going to dance around you buck naked."

I turned away to hide my red cheeks. The mental image flashing brightly through my mind. "You should...just be more professional around your employees!"

Ranger's expression flattened. I guess that was his 'What the fuck' stare. "I'm taking a shower because I got a call from a contact overseas about a job. I won't be back for a few days so I trust that you won't burn my entire building to the ground. Tank will be in charge if you need anything and the guys will help you as well. I expect full cooperation when I'm gone. Professional enough for you?"

Leaving? He was leaving? I furrowed my eyebrows at him. "You're leaving overseas?"

"For a few days."

"Why?"

"Because it's my job. This company isn't the only thing I run. I do mercenary work."

I thought about telling him that mercenaries weren't real but stopped myself right before I did, thinking back on the information I learned earlier about him working for Vinnie.

"Yes, it's the same type of work I do for Vinnie. Just more dangerous and expensive." Ranger continued. I cursed. I needed to stop speaking my thoughts aloud.

"Well okay uh…well…I...I'm leaving!" It wasn't the most probable response but it felt necessary. The idea of him not being here for a few days should have been icing on a deluxe cake. The horrible thing was...I think it made me..._angry_. No, no...I think it made a little_ sad_! I began to spin around but he grabbed my wrist.

"At least eat before you do." He told me, pointing to the plate of food I had yet to touch. "Because, in actuality, the food I serve gives you more energy."

I tried not to think about his hand on me. "But I don't like it."

"Eat it anyway."

"You aren't the bo..." I caught myself and narrowed my eyes at his wide grin. Damn it! I wrenched my hand away from his grasp and grumbled, "Fine."

"Good girl." I glared at him but he only grinned. "And remember: you're on duty as soon as you get downstairs." Then he disappeared inside the bathroom and shut the door.

I stood standing there for a beat before I cursed silently to myself and stomped my foot in rage. Maybe this was the way to go. Maybe I should swallow my pride whenever I spoke to him and then let out all my fury when I was alone. I glowered at the bathroom door and whispered angrily, "I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate my boss. I hate my boss _so much_."

"Babe."

ACK! He heard me!

And with that I made my not so elaborate exit, stumbling out of the room.

* * *

"God Steph, what the hell is that?"

I gave Lester a tired stare. Although I knew his reaction was appropriate, I didn't feel like listening to his voice right now. I didn't feel like listening to anyone's voice for that matter. I passed by him and Brett who were staring wide eyed at my new car. Or, you know, what _used_ to be a car. When my paycheck came in yesterday, the first thing I went out and bought was a car. There was no way I'd travel around Trenton in Big Blue all my life. And thus, this beauty became my new mode of transportation.

Did I mention I don't shop for vehicles well?

I wasn't even sure what the heck it was. It was rusty, old and probably invested with problems lurking around.

But, it had an engine and it ran. So hey, who was I to complain?

Brett and Lester started to crack jokes about it while I took the elevator to the fifth floor. It was the same thing almost every morning. I'd be greeted by whoever was in the garage when I came in (Which, weirdly enough, seemed to always include Lester), head up to the 5th floor and begin working. I knew most of the guys by now and the routine was pretty easy. Ella had given me a freaking year supply of Rangeman uniforms that included lacy boots, tight, snug black pants and a black shirt with the insignia on the breast that showed off a bit too much cleavage because, when the guys saw me in it, noses started to bleed. That being said, I was wearing a jacket until Ella worked it out. So, yeah. All was normal. Except for one thing.

It's been a whole week since I last saw Ranger.

A WHOLE week.

No one mentioned it much. No one shared the concerns swimming in my head. Like, for instance, where he was, if he was okay, if he'd ever come back. Obviously, they were all so use to this so they were immune to worrying. They called it him '_being in the wind_'. I tried to be just as positive but, more than once, I found myself asking Tank if he was returning back each day. I hadn't wanted to give anyone the impression I was apprehensive because...lets face it, these were men and they loved to tease me but I knew they could always see past my attempts of trying to come off indifferent and uncaring when I questioned about Ranger. I actually think I annoyed them with my inquiries.

Hell, they thought they were irritated? They had no fucking clue. The simple fact that _I_ was, definitely, bothered by his absence enough made me infuriated.

It was sad to think but I had the sense that I was, for lack of a more accurate description, _bored_ when Ranger wasn't around.

Either that or Tank was right and _I had a crush on him_.

My retort to that statement had been simple and sweet.

I punched him in the stomach.

He never brought up my crush again.

I got to the fifth floor and started towards my cubby, nodding at each man in turn and receiving greetings. It felt pretty good to be accepted so quickly. Rangeman was actually beginning to feel like home.

That was kind of exaggerating, I suppose. It felt more like the side of the coffee house you sat at to rid yourself of everyday troubles.

A banana peel flew by my head and must have landed on its intended target because a curse exploded in the air.

I smiled. Okay. Maybe it was more like the center of the coffeehouse that was loud and filled with egoistical males.

I settled myself into my seat and sighed, staring blankly at the computer screen. A whole week of searches was getting very, very tedious. I thought about asking the men if they'd switch with me (just until Ranger came back) but thought better. What would I rather do? Stare at a computer screen or stare at a monitor?

The computer always won.

At least I could surf the net.

While I started to bring up the search engine, Gene's head poked over and he grinned, resting his arms on my top of the low walls. I was use to it. The men always talked to me no matter what they were doing. And, at the moment, they were heaving a food fight. Gene dodged a bottle of grapefruit juice. _When the boss is away, the employees will play._ "Hey Stephanie." He smiled.

"Gene." I acknowledged flatly, typing. I didn't mean to sound so rude but I just wasn't in the mood. I'm not sure what caused my mood but I knew I was in one. Whether it was because of my new 'car' or my judging family or Ranger. Yeah, I admit it! Ranger could put me in a mood! It wasn't something I was proud of but denial wasn't doing me much.

That doesn't mean I had a crush on him though. Innocent until proven guilty.

"Aww." Gene smirked. "Bad day?"

I gave him the finger.

"I think Stephanie is still worrying about Ranger!" Gene called out. I sent him a horrified stare. Seconds later, the guys were gathered around me. I groaned.

"Miss the boss huh?" Binkie winked. I groaned again. "Guys, I think we need to get her mind off of Ranger. What do you think?"

There were hearty agrees. My eyes widened and I tried to make myself smaller. Nothing good came out of them planning. So, I screamed out, "NO! I'm fine. I don't miss Ranger. I don't even care about him. He's a big...JERK!"

Silence.

"Oh my God, she loves him." Bobby mock gasped.

I sighed and put my head in my hand. "If you guys don't leave me alone, I'll start busting balls."

That was enough to get the majority of them to scatter away. It wasn't enough, however, to make Gene, Bobby and Hal leave. They just all backed up.

"I can see past your facade, Steph sweetie." Bobby teased, wiggling his eyebrows. I rolled my eyes. "It's true. You've only been here for a week or so but it's easy to read you. You wear your heart on your sleeve." The bad thing was...he was right. I was no good at keeping things locked up. "I don't know what the boss did but he sure got his hooks in you."

"NO!" I shrieked, turning to glare at him. "HE DID NOT! I couldn't care less about him, okay? I'm just sick and tired of staring at this computer screen! Now, _DROP IT!_"

They quieted.

"Time of month." I heard Hal mutter. My eyes flashed but before I could yell some more, Gene spoke up.

"AH." He snapped his fingers. "I have the perfect remedy to boredom." There was a sneaky gleam in his eye I didn't like. "Lets bring her along after a FTA"

Hal and Bobby exchanged hesitant stares. "I don't know..."

"Come on!" I added in, thinking it was a great idea. "I've never tried before."

"Because you don't know how!" Hal interjected.

"Which is why I should learn." I shut down the computer and stood up. "First hand training is always the best." I assured, raising my eyebrows. I'd do anything to get my mind off of my jumbled thoughts. I mean really, how hard would skip tracing be? I know Vinnie hadn't trusted me to do it alone but now I sorta worked for him too so he'd have to suck it up. Besides, I'd have help.

Hal and Bobby glanced at each other again and I saw the smiles on their faces. I could pretty much hear their silent communication.

_This is going to be fun._

_

* * *

_

"No."

"But-"

"No."

"Just let-"

"_No_."

I clenched my teeth and leveled Tank with a glare. He was sitting in Ranger's office, being the perfect replacement what with answering the phones, doing paperwork and assigning positions. All he all, he had been pretty lenient on all of us since Ranger left. Besides from making sure we didn't mess up control central and did our jobs, he didn't bug us. As soon as he heard my proposition to tag along with the guys when they went hunting for skips however, he immediately turned me down.

Tank was a silent man, I came to realize that over the last week. He was friendly when he wanted to be but, overall, the man was all business. So, I knew if I didn't get his approval of going out, I never would.

Gene and Bobby were behind me. Trying their best to give me support. All they did however, was stand there and smile dumbly.

"Tank! Come on!" I whined, throwing up my hands.

He cut his eyes to me. "I said no. You are too inexperienced for it. I know it. You know it." He looked at the two men behind me. "And they, most _definitely_, know it."

Gene and Bobby smiled sheepishly.

Tank glanced away. "Besides, Ranger would have my ass." That was the clincher. Whatever Ranger didn't allow, didn't meet reality.

"Listen," I put my palms on the desk. "Think about it. I'm a bit bored with my desk job, yes. But look at the bigger picture. Ranger's not here. And I won't tell him about this if you won't. All I want to do is go along. I won't even get out of the car. I'll just sit quietly in the passenger seat. I swear. I just need to get out of this stuffy building for a few hours. _Please_?" I fluttered my eyelashes at him.

Tank didn't even blink. In many ways, the big man reminded me of Ranger which should have angered me but instead, it gave me a sense of comfort. He might have had some Ranger tendencies but Tank was kinder.

Sort of...a little bit...

Well, I knew he bended easier.

"Fine." Tank finally sighed sending the guys and me into a quiet dance of victory. See? "But," His eyes narrowed at us. "If something bad happens, don't come to me."

"Nice leader qualities." Bobby mumbled sarcastically. He was met with a rather large book bouncing off of his head that sent him crashing onto the floor. Gene and I peered down at him warily.

"I think he's bleeding." Gene stated.

Tank smirked. "Mission accomplished."

* * *

Who's looking forward to this?

Me! Haha.

Thanks for all the reviews and keep them coming!


	7. Chapter Six

A/N: A quick word in edgewise: Morelli is _NOT_ going to be a big part of this. Just wanted to say that in case a Cupcake fan was getting excited or a Babe fan was getting turned off. He will be mentioned though. I'm trying to stay fairly close to the original storyline.

And; haha. This update came fast huh? I even surprised myself ;D

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Six

* * *

"Whoa. Look whose back. How-Oh damn, you got the job?"

I smiled proudly and put hands on hips, basking in the initial glory. Connie's eyes were bugging out and her jaw had damn near crashed down to the floor. I could understand how she felt. When I left here on that fateful day, neither of us had expected I'd actually _get_ the job at Rangeman.

That's probably why she was staring at me, Gene, Brett and Lester like we had fifteen heads.

It was a hassle just getting out of the freaking door when Tank agreed to let me tag along. Mostly because_ every_ guy wanted to come along. I would have been flattered if I didn't have the distinct feeling their curiosity was going towards seeing me fail and/or fuck up. It came down to Gene, of course because he thought up the idea but Brett and Lester were chosen from pure coincidence. They happened to be on skip duty today. We would have taken Bobby as well but he was suffering from a recent head injury.

Connie glanced at the men. "Ranger really hired her?"

They nodded.

"Forreal!"

Another nod.

"Like...as a _real_ employee?"

Third nod.

By now I was becoming a little pissy. Did she not see me standing here? I decided to waltz up to her. "Yep! He's even letting me catch FTAs."

Connie looked like she might faint.

"Uh...Stephanie, no he isn't-" Gene was cut off by my foot ramming into his shin. There was a flicker of extreme pain across his face and then it was gone, replaced by a calm facade.

Connie grabbed onto my jacket and pulled me down to whisper in my ear. "He's hot right?"

"Who?"

She mouthed 'Ranger.'

I almost replied with a HELL YES but quickly caught myself and played it smooth. "He's alright."

Connie gave me a weird look. "You're not a lesbian are you?"

"I'm pretty sure I like cannolis."

A strangled sound came from behind me and I turned to see the guys staring at me with wide eyes. Before anyone could address my statement however, the door behind Connie's desk flew open and out came my cousin Vinnie. I mentioned him already right? Rat face, pasty skin, morals of a serial killer. Vinnie was a part of my family I hated to claim.

Which was why I got immense joy from his horrified look my way. "What are you doing here!"

I let Connie do the honors. "She works for Ranger."

There was a beat of stunned silence before Vinnie exploded. "HE HIRED YOU!"

I smirked. "That's right."

Vinnie glanced at me, then at Connie then at the men who all smiled and gave little finger waves. I could see the gears shifting and cranking behind his balding little head. "Which means...?"

"I work for you too. Indirectly."

My cousin groaned and hung his head. "This is a nightmare. Why would _he_ need you? It's not like you're good..." He trailed off and then snapped his neck around, gazing at me with a glint in his eye. "Let me guess. You're for _entertainment_ purposes?"

My eyes flashed and, before I could stop myself, I launched myself at him and was instantly dragged back by the arms of Lester. Vinnie squeaked and went back into his office. I could hear the door lock. "Just don't fuck anything up!" Were the last words of encouragement my _cousin_ shouted. I felt my eye twitch. Asshole.

"Sweetie..." Lester muttered warily, letting me go slowly. "I don't think the boss would like it if you mauled..._his_ boss."

I scoffed. It sounded way too weird to refer to Vinnie as Ranger's boss. I thought of it more along the lines of one man doing a shitty, ugly man's dirty work. Vinnie would probably be nothing without Ranger.

I dusted myself off. "Yeah, yeah." Turning to Connie, I smiled. "So...FTAs?"

Connie handed me a stack of folders which were promptly plucked away by Brett. He grinned boyishly at me. "There's no way _you're_ picking who we're going after."

I sighed and folded my arms across my chest. I wanted to resent that and say that the least they could do was let me choose but sat back and watched the males scan through the files. I felt a prick on my back and turned to see Connie, sliding me another manila folder. I blinked at her and she mouthed one word 'Look.'

With a quick glance over my shoulder to make sure the guys weren't looking, I opened the folder and was instantly taken aback by the first few words. I trailed my eyes down to the bottom and read the payment for the capture. My eyes widened. Ten thousand dollars?

"It's the highest one." She whispered, keeping an eye on the guys. "Vinnie doesn't want to admit it but if we don't get him, it'll set him back tenfold."

I figured. I sighed and stared down at the file again."Why don't you give it to Ranger?"

Connie shrugged. "I offered. He didn't take it."

Weird. I bit my lip and glanced back at the guys. They seemed to be having a massive argument over whom to go after. I rolled my eyes and turned back to Connie. "So why give it to me?"

She shrugged. "Last ditch effort?"

I knew how she felt. My whole life felt like a last ditch effort._ I_ didn't want to do it however. It would almost feel like going back into the past. A past I'd rather have kept locked away in a safe with a combination I didn't know. Besides, the guys would not let me handle a murder case.

_Then again_, if they didn't _know_ about it, they couldn't forbid it right?

Swiftly, I slid the folder into my purse and winked at Connie who smiled back._ This would be my chance_, I thought while spinning around on my heel. If I captured the ten thousand dollar bounty that the boss _himself_ hadn't wanted to go after then none of the guys would_ ever_ doubt my skills at being a bounty hunter. I wasn't really sure _why_ I wanted to prove myself. Maybe it was because I wanted to show all these macho males I was worthy. Maybe it was because Ranger wasn't here and I was feeling brave.

Or maybe it was because I was getting tired of that desk job.

_Either way, I'd do it_, I told myself while I walked over to coax the guys who had begun yelling and throwing up their hands.

I'd find Joe Morelli and drag his ass back to jail. All by myself.

* * *

"Okay, this is how we do things. Steph sweetheart, your code name is _Gorgeous Blue eyes_." I laughed and Lester winked at me before motioning towards himself. "My codename is _Sexy hunk of burning love_." Lester pointed to Gene. "His is _Never get Laid_." His other finger aimed at Brett. "And his is _My cock is very small_."

Gene and Brett gave him a few punches in the shoulder and I rolled my eyes. We were sitting in a Rangeman Truck which, might I add, was very sleek, black and expensive looking. The interior looked felt like it was made of silk and there was a lot of buttons in the front I didn't dare touch. Lester was sitting in the driver's side, I was in passenger seat and the other two were behind us, stretching their arms across the seat to invoke their blows.

"Don't listen to that jackass. We don't do code names, Steph." Brett told me between his punches at Lester. "It's all very easy. We go in, flash our badge, grab our guy and get out."

"Yeah okay but-"

"And furthermore," Gene continued, cutting me off and shoving Lester against the steering wheel. "It normally doesn't take three of us to catch an old man."

"Alright but-"

"Fine!" Lester butted in, taking his beatings like a man. "We won't do code names! DAMN!" He opened the car door. "Let's go already."

The guys filed out, shooting me thumbs up and reassuring smiles. I watched them enter the building with a withered look.

The FTA we (_they_) were going after was a man named Lettie Fitz. He was 5'8, had quite a large head, was taken in for reckless endangerment and was over 60 years old.

Lettie lived in _my_ apartment complex.

I knew him and I knew he loved to drive even though his license was revoked years ago. Lettie was a good guy. He just had a love of all things illegal.

Too bad _no one_ had let me explain this.

Two minutes into sitting in the car, I was bored. I know I had promised every one I'd stay in the car but..._please_. They honestly didn't believe that, did they? Anyway, how was I supposed to get firsthand experience sitting in here? With that logic, I slid out of the car, made sure it was all locked up and tidy and tip toed over to me apartment, taking the elevator to the floor _I_ lived on. Yeah that's right. I didn't use the stairs in my own apartment either.

When I arrived, I could see that the guys weren't doing so well. Actually, they were doing kind of bad.

Lester was on the ground, covering himself from the swarm of women who was squatting at him with their large purses. Brett was trying to shoo them away while getting hit in the process and Gene was backed up against the far wall by the older gentlemen of the building who were waving wrenches and sticks around.

I shook my head. If they would have let me tell them about my neighbors, I could have warned them about their tendency to attack strangers who were trying to drag an old man away.

I assumed their only downfall was the fact that they were all really sweet guys and wouldn't dream of hitting senior citizens.

Now it was time to swoop in and save them!

In a matter of minutes, I had the women off of Lester and the men backing away. I knew a lot of them by name and vice versa. Heck, the first thing someone said to me was, "Hi Stephanie, want to help us beat these big brutes up?"

Unfortunately, I declined and explained to them all what we were and that Lettie needed to come down to the station and get bonded out. He agreed, the ladies and guys apologized and, just like that, I was walking Mr. Fitz to the car and helping him get settled in.

Lester, Gene and Brett took this all in with flabbergasted stares and scowls.

"Why didn't you _tell_ us you lived here?" Lester growled out, holding an ice pack to his forehead while I slammed the car door shut on Mr. Fitz. Ms. Bencher had really gone to town on his head.

I shrugged. "You didn't ask."

There was a collective sigh from all three of the men.

I only smirked.

Not bad for my first FTA right?

* * *

"Say it."

"But-"

"Say it."

"It was a fluke!"

"Say it."

"We didn't know!"

"Say it." I singsonged again, grinning like a madman.

The guys all groaned and mumbled, in perfect unison, "Thank you Stephanie oh Great one. We would have never made it out of there without your know how."

I nodded and patted each of their heads, feeling very victorious. We were driving out of the police station after dropping off Mr. Fitz and phoning Connie. To add on to my big ego, Connie had congratulated me on my first captured victim.

"Yeah well, we'll try a different one." Gene spoke up, smirking. "One you _don't_ know." The other two guys agreed and I gulped. I knew damn well it had been a coincidence our first skip had been someone I knew. I wasn't really scared to try again but uh...hell, I was pretty jittery. But in a good way. Like I was awaiting riding on a huge, scary roller coaster. And I was pretty glad they had all seemed to overlook the fact that I was supposed to be staying in the car. I felt like part of the team!

"You just stay in the car this time and watch us do our thing."

Almost.

Someone's cell phone went off and I watched Brett take his out and glance down at the read out. His face went pale almost instantly.

"What?" Gene asked, trying to get a good look at the device. Lester glanced at the rear view mirror briefly before focusing back on the road.

Brett glanced up and smiled wryly at me. "The boss is back."

Silence.

He outstretched the phone to me so I could see the text. "And he's wondering where you are."

Shit.

* * *

"You'd think I could leave and trust my men to follow my orders."

"Boss-"

"Santos, now is _not_ the best time to speak."

Lester immediately shut up.

Ranger was standing before us with his arms folded across his chest and his feet spread apart. He had wasted no time lining us up as soon as we arrived back at Rangeman garage. The line included Lester, Gene, me, Brett _and_ Tank. I could see the big man giving us accusing glares and I smiled sheepishly. He was getting punished as well. Obviously, he had tried to keep Ranger at bay until we came back but it hadn't worked.

I turned back to Ranger and tried not to check him out but it was involuntary. As soon as my eyes locked onto him, I found myself surveying his body. He still looked the same. Same slicked back hair, same dark clothes, and same boots. His expression was impeccably placid, his stance was a little tense and his eyes were boring into mines. I felt a spark of electricity float through my body and cursed mentally.

It was bad enough I was in trouble.

_Again_.

But it was even worst to realize his presence brought out a response from me.

Damn it.

"Whose idea was it?"

Silence.

Ranger's features twitched slightly and he took a step forward. "No one can speak now huh?"

Silence.

He shrugged slightly. "Fine. I guess I'll just have to dish out punishments-"

"It was my idea! I asked them to do it. I bugged them until they let me. It was all me."

All eyes landed on me and I smiled shakily. I saw Gene open his mouth out of the corner of my eye but one swift kick to his hind leg made him shut it. I sent a glance Lester's way and he kept quiet as well. I wasn't one to be the hero. Actually, I was use to being a coward. This was why I instantly berated myself for the exclamation as soon as Ranger walked over to stare down at me. I figured I'd take full blame to get the guys off the hook. It _was_ kinda.._.my_ fault. I suppose. But gazing into Ranger's eyes now flushed all my bravado away. This had to be the end of the line. I was as good as fired now.

Ranger made one motion with his hand and the guys scattered, taking to the stairs because the elevator doors didn't open fast enough.

"Why am I not surprised?"

I shrugged slowly, feeling even more terrified now that I was alone with him. "'Cause you expected me to cause mischief?"

He didn't laugh. "What is it that makes _you_ want to annoy me?"

I frowned. "I wasn't trying to annoy _you_. I was just bored with my desk job so I decided to try something new."

"You don't get to decide to try something new unless_ I_ say so." He told me in a menacing low voice. "That's why _I'm_ the boss. Yes, that title _does_ mean something."

"I wasn't trying to deliberately disobey you-"

"No. You were trying to _get away_ with deliberately disobeying me." His eyes narrowed slightly. "Why is it that you can't listen to my orders _once_? How special do you think you are that you don't have to follow rules? I will admit; my men _are_ to blame as well. So don't think trying to take full responsibility is going to save any of them. However, they've always followed directions," He paused. "Until _you_ showed up."

He was blaming me for his men's disobedience? ME? Maybe he should blame himself for being so God damn strict! "You should be grateful!" I blurted out loudly. Where the hell had that came from?

Ranger's eyebrows rose. "_Grateful?_"

"I _caught_ a FTA!"

He glanced up at the ceiling. "_A _FTA? Just one?"

"Y-Yes."

"How old was he?"

"What does that have to-" I saw Ranger's eyes flash. "He was 67." Fuck. How did he know to ask that?

"Bravo. You apprehended an old man. I could have _never_ done that."

Sarcasm. He was very angry today, apparently.

"You call this angry?" Damn. I said it aloud again. "You have _no idea_ what I look like when I'm angry."

I scowled and decided to take a different approach. "I don't get it! If the guys can give me a chance then why can't _you_?"

Ranger stared at me with that indifferent gaze of his. "A chance?" I nodded slowly. "Fine. You want a chance? I'll give you one." He dug in the waistband of his jeans and shoved a gun my way. I instantly shrieked and smacked the thing away. It clattered onto the ground.

"What the hell?" I screamed, giving him a wide eyed look.

Ranger set me with another cold stare. "Not every one you go after is going to be 67." He nodded towards the gun. "If you want to be a bounty hunter, you _will_ carry a gun."

Let me rewind back here. You remember my interview with Tank right? When I first got here?

Yeah, remember when I told him I didn't like guns. That I thought they were metal little murderers?

My view on it hadn't changed.

But I had to win some respect here. I had to show Ranger he hadn't made a complete mistake by hiring me. Hell, I kinda wanted to make him proud. I wanted to cheer him up...a little.

"Whatever it takes." I told him stonily.

Ranger's lip twitched and that was when I got the gut wrenching feeling that I had bitten off more than I could chew.

* * *

"Again."

I groaned and did as told, squeezing the trigger hard. I watched the bullet through my protective goggles as it beamed towards the target and then did a fucking dip downwards and missed completely. I stomped my foot angrily and let out a few colorful curse words. It had been a good six or seven hours since I'd last told Ranger I wanted to be given a chance at being a mercenary. That had lead me here; to the shooting range at the bottom of the Rangeman building. My task had been to shoot two target dummies before I could leave. That way, I'd get more familiar with the gun I was being forced to handle.

Like the fool I am, I accepted the challenge, thinking it'd be easy. How hard could hitting two targets be?

Very hard, I learned.

I was coming up on eight long hours of not hitting one damn thing. My trigger finger had a blister on it, my knees ached, my stomach hurt, my head hurt. I had convinced Ranger to let me take a break and eat. I had a feeling he only relented because of last week and my fainting. I ate a bagel and some fruit. YUCK.

"Again." Ranger repeated from his spot standing behind me.

I turned to glare at him. "We've been here all day!"

"You said whatever it takes." He smirked. "Again."

"Hard ass." I muttered.

"Hit four targets now."

"WHAT! You said only two before!"

"Hard ass says four now."

I blew out a disgruntled sigh and got back into the position he showed me, squinted one eye and squeezed the trigger. The bullet ricocheted off a wall and hit the ground. I spent a few more minutes hitting everything but the targets before I growled and straightened, breathing heavily.

"Want another break?"

"No" I spit out, turning to face him. "I'll stay here all day if I have to."

He raised one eyebrow. "What caused the sudden spur of determination?"

"The idea of proving your hard ass wrong."

Ranger smirked again. Aside from the short berate I had gotten in the garage, he hadn't really mentioned my disobedience again. He had, however, reprimanded the guys. At the moment, Tank was doing a million jumping jacks, Gene was running up and down the steps until twelve o'clock midnight, Brett was loaded with paperwork and Lester was cleaning all the cars with a toothbrush. I figured that being here at the shooting range was my subtly punishment and, when I thought it over, I'd rather be _me_ than them right now.

"So," I started randomly, missing another shot. "How was the trip?"

Ranger didn't reply right away. "Bloody."

I gulped. "Seriously?"

"It comes with the job."

Another bullet hit the wall. "And you _like_ this job? You like going after criminals?"

"What's with the sudden questionnaire?"

I shrugged, replacing the empty clip with a full one the way Ranger had shown me. "I don't know...I guess I'm just curious." More like, I was intrigued by his person and wanted to know so much more about him. Besides that, I had went through a freaking withdrawal with him not around. Was that a bad thing? Hell yeah it was. One minute, he'd drive me insane with rage and the next he'd be teasing me and I'd feel...warm. Ugh. Great. The feelings were coming back. I was hopeless.

"Too much charm for you huh?"

I shot the wall again and stated sarcastically, "I guess your modesty just _draws_ me in."

He was silent. "I suppose my love of all things violent and bloody started when I joined the Army."

I blinked in surprise and turned to stare at him. His face was a mask of apathy. "You were in the army...?" It made sense, actually. That would explain his tough exterior and docile attitude.

"Special forces. Long time ago."

"Why'd you sign up?"

His eyes met mines and, for a second, I felt another current rock my body. "It seemed like the right thing to do at the time."

Best answer I would probably get. "You had to be like...a teenager when you joined, right? Unless you're like fifty something and I_ know_ you're not that old..." I trailed off and blushed at his smile. "How old are you?"

"Two months older than you."

"How do you..." Right. He had me investigated. I turned to aim again. "What made you come to Trenton?"

Before Ranger could answer, my hand squeezed the trigger and the bullet blasted off, skimming past one target, barely missing the head. I screamed blood murder and pounded my foot into the floor.

"Calling it quits?" Came Ranger's taunting voice.

"What's the hurry?" I mocked, smiling. "Got a hot date?"

Silence.

"Oh ho ho ho!" I laughed, smirking."Man of mystery isn't getting any action?"

Ranger looked at me. I guessed he wouldn't be as mad if I teased him in private. Either that or our relationship was getting better. Slightly. "You're probably getting enough action for the both of us."

Sarcasm.

I huffed. "HEY, I'm getting plenty of action thank you very much!" _Liar_.

"Right. Because who wouldn't want to sleep with a woman who can't listen to simple orders, stuffs her face with sweets and has 'Fuck Off' written across her face?"

I gasped and then clenched my teeth, preparing to throw insults his way as well. "Yeah well-" I abruptly stopped and cursed to myself. There was nothing I could insult him about! "Okay fine!" I exploded, throwing up my hands. "So what! My bed has been a little cold and lonely lately. So fucking what?"

There was a beat of silence where we stared into each other's eyes.

"I could remedy that."

A squeak came out of my mouth as a reply as I watched Ranger stalk over to me, smirk playing across his face. My mind wasn't comprehending anything at the moment so I didn't have a chance to skirt away. He was watching me with intense, dark eyes.

I'm sorry. I must have been hearing wrong. I almost believed Ranger had voiced an invitation to warm my bed. Silly me.

"You didn't hear wrong."

Damn my mouth!

His hand reached out to brush the_ Rangeman_ words on the breast of my shirt. "I forgot to mention how sexy you look in these clothes."

I didn't know how to react. Millions of things were running through my head. Like how the hell he could revert from stern to sensual so fast? Or why the heck he was flirting with me? Because he was flirting with me right? Just like that day at the gym. The memory of his comment about every rule having an exception made me shudder. It's not that I was complaining. I was just...confused! How the fuck was I supposed to act towards a guy like him? He was completely unpredictable!

"I owe you something."

I snapped from my muddled daze to stare up and my eyes bugged out.

He was going to kiss me!

_Freeze frame._

I'd like to start off by saying that people react differently to certain events. Like, for instance, if my mom got into a car crash, she'd be very sympathetic and friendly even if it wasn't her fault. I, however, would cuss and scream and blame the other person for ruining my already fucked up car (Even in my examples, my car is trash).

I'm not sure what my mother would have done at this moment though. I figured she'd gasp and swat Ranger with her purse. She was probably the _only_ one who'd do that considering that she was happily married. Every other woman in Trenton would wholeheartedly accept his kiss. I mean, that was the freaking logical thing to do. Shit, that was the _best_ thing to do. This was Ranger here. The guy was hot.

I told you all this to let you know I had_ planned_ to kiss him back in return. I really had. I actually think I had been _waiting_ for it since that morning in the gym.

Of course, my luck was determined to ruin it. _Again._

So I blame my luck for this and I think you should to. Hell, I'll throw a bit of the blame at Ranger for being so damn..._him_.

Because when he leaned down, I got nervous and my hand clenched.

And the gun went off.

My mouth came open and my eyes glanced down just in time to see blood dampening Ranger's shirt.

"Fuck."

"Oh. My. God." I breathed.

_I shot Ranger!_

_

* * *

_

I deem that...Stephanie's payback! Unintentional? Yes but payback nonetheless! Muwahaha!

*awaits screams of protest from Babes*


	8. Chapter Seven

AN: I added in the last few lines from the last chapter first so it flows better. ENJOY!

* * *

Chapter Seven

* * *

_Because when he leaned down, I got nervous and my hand clenched._

_And the gun went off._

_My mouth came open and my eyes glanced down just in time to see blood dampening Ranger's shirt._

_"Fuck."_

_"Oh. My. God." I breathed._

_I shot Ranger! _

I floated in a state of mental ignorance. My eyes were wide open, my tongue dried up and my brain froze. I didn't know what to say, how to reaction, what to do. I just stared at Ranger's shirt. The gun dropped from my hand and clattered onto the ground. The sound echoed painfully in my ears.

"Fuck." The repeated sentence brought me out of my daze. My heart started to speed up and I jerked into motion; twirling my arms around, stomping, yelling and pointing.

"Are you okay! Oh my God...don't move! Stand still! I'll can ambulance! Oh my God...I'm such a fuckup! Lay down! Don't go towards the light! Stay with me! I swear I didn't mean to...Oh man, don't die on me! It was accident! _Oh my God_! I'm a _murderer_!" I wailed, throwing my hands towards the sky, crying to the Big Guy Above.

"Babe."

"What am I going to do with myself? I'll have to go on the run!"

"Babe."

"But I'm not good on the run! Where will I go! Will I get to eat cake?"

"_Babe_."

"I'll have to change my face! Create a new name! Dye my hair, adopt kids-"

"Stephanie!"

I turned to face the voice, preparing to curse them out for interrupting my future plans. I blinked at a blatant looking Ranger.

How could that be? Ranger was dead. I had just killed him.

"I'm _not_ dead." Holy shit. He was talking now? "Damn woman, you really go off in your own little wonderland sometimes, don't you?

Pushing past my haze of distortion, fear and imaginings, I looked him up and down to realize he was actually standing, covering the offending spot on his lower abdomen with a hand as tight as he could. I spotted blood oozing out of the cracks of his fingers steadily, dripping onto the floor. I felt a sudden wooziness in my head upon seeing the thick, dark red liquid. I hated the sight of blood.

"Don't you dare faint on me." Ranger spat out, eyebrow twitching. "I need you to help me upstairs."

"But you're shot!" I shrieked out, pointing towards the wound as if he didn't already know and my finger would magically heal it. "I need to get you to the hospital! I need to get you out of here, NOW! Oh God...I can't believe I shot you! _I'm so sorry!_"

"It's _just_ a flesh wound." He drawled out carefully, speaking to me as if I were an infant. I felt worthless and dazed. A sob hitch in my throat and put my hand over my mouth. Hyperventilating. I was hyperventilating over here! This was not the best time to hyperventilate! "Stephanie...Babe...I need you to calm down."

Well isn't this ironic! I shoot him and he helps settle _my_ nerves! "I'm calm!" My voice came out as a high pitched screech.

I saw Ranger's mouth twitched. Was he laughing! At a time like this? "Fine...Okay...can you help me upstairs?"

It occurred to me then that he was slightly doubled over. I nodded, for fear I'd burst out crying if I tried to speak again, and wasted no time throwing his arm over my shoulder. We walked towards the elevator like that; him placing some of his weight on me while I aided him forward, receiving only a few groans when I accidentally stepped on his foot or elbowed him in the ribs. As soon as we stepped inside, I automatically hit the floor to the garage. One of the Rangeman crew would probably be down there. Someone would come to help. Someone would see me. I prayed to _God_ someone was down there. The guys would know what to do, I chanted to myself. Because I sure as hell did not. If he wasn't dead yet, I'd probably kill him.

The elevator doors opened and I dragged Ranger forward, bumping right into Lester with a toothbrush in his hand. I breathed a silent sigh of relief.

Lester was smiling and looked like he was about to crack a joke. That smile froze however as soon as he laid eyes on Ranger and his face paled.

"What the _hell _happened!"

I simply screamed, "Help!"

Lester dove into action. He quickly grabbed Ranger's arm from around me and slung it around his shoulders. "Steph, go get the other guys. Tell them the boss is at the hospital and to come quick."

"I don't _need_ to go to hospital." Ranger grumbled. He sounded a little drowsy...

"You're _going_." Lester stated in finality, eyes narrowing in concern. "Holy shit, I think he might be going into shock." Oh my God! SHOCK! Wasn't that a bad thing? I stared at Ranger. His eyes were slanted, his darkened skin was a little white and his eyes were dilated. He looked high. Figures. Even when he went into shock, he remained cool. "Rangeman, you alright?" He didn't wait for an answer. "I need something to stop the blood-"

I didn't even realize I was stripping off my shirt and shoving it Lester's way until the two males stared wide eyed at my exposed chest. Lester's eyebrows shot up and Ranger smiled. Evidently, no amount of physical pain could stop him from ogling my boobs.

"_LESTER_!" I cried in an attempt to get his attention, motioning towards the injured man.

"Oh shit. Right."

"Wait a few minutes." Ranger muttered, studying my chest shamelessly. I flushed and tried to scowl but felt too guilty to.

"HURRY UP!"

"Could you take off your bra too maybe? I mean the blood isn't going to stop itself..." I gave Ranger a look of utter disbelief. He was unbelievable! Ugh. Men!

Lester let out a bark of laughter and shook his head. "At least his color is returning." I watched him bunch up my shirt, press it against Ranger's stomach and teeter away, heading towards a Rangeman Truck at record speed.

I watched the Truck speed out and felt panic and concern clench my stomach. A sharp pain vibrated off my hand and I glanced down to see that my nails were digging into my palms. I relaxed, paused for a beat and then took off at a dead bolt, rushing up the stairs.

* * *

I sighed and looked up from my spot seated on the ground, staring up at the darkness rapidly descending. It'd been a little over an hour since Ranger had last been wheeled into the hospital. I couldn't remember much about the events that happened after I saw Lester and him drive away. There were vague, scattered memories of me stumbling onto the fifth floor, screaming and then the images fast forward to where I am now; sitting on the cold ground right outside one of Trenton's more deluxe Hospitals.

Hal, Brett and Manuel were waiting out here with me. Why? Not sure. I suspected they had orders to make sure I didn't break down but I was hoping they were just here for moral support.

Obviously, everyone knew about my..._mishap_.

The news was: Ranger was fine. He needed a few stitches, a couple of painkillers, a night of rest and he'd be back to his former self. He had been right; it was a flesh wound. The bullet had only nicked him. I guessed the close range of it had provided more of an impact and thus; that explained all the blood gushing out.

Or, you know, maybe it wasn't a lot of blood and I had _pictured_ fountains of it.

The man in question was still inside the building going through a few scans and checks to make sure nothing had been missed and everything was okay. I knew for sure that Tank, Cal and Lester were inside as well, accompanying him I suppose. I had thought about joining them but the white walls of the building were giving me headaches and every time I worked up enough courage, I'd feel nauseous.

Unfortunately, the initial shock hadn't worn off. My mind was a mess, my heart was beating ferociously, my eyes were burning and my stomach was doing back flips.

What if the outcome would have turned out worst? I could have really hurt him.

I could have killed him.

Footsteps from behind made me tense us. I saw the three men look back but I couldn't bring myself to face the person.

"The boss is just _dandy_. He told me to tell you guys to go ahead and leave." I knew from the voice that it was Lester. He sounded a little sardonic. "Actually, his exact words were 'All this fucking commotion for nothing. I swear, if I walk out and everyone is waiting and not on their posts, I'll skewer some heads.'"

I watched the guys go blank face; nod and then they all took off at a dash towards the parking lot. Lester laughed and slumped down beside me. I kept my gaze forward.

He nudged me with an elbow. "He didn't really say that."

I finally turned to lock eyes with him. He was smiling.

"I just said he did to get them to clear out." Lester's eyebrows rose. "How are you feeling, killer?"

Why in the world was he inquiring about my feelings when Ranger was the one who was shot?

"I'm asking because _you're_ the one who shot him." Damn. He knew me too well. Lester patted my knee. "If it makes you feel any better, he didn't take it personally...I don't think."

I laughed bitterly. "I'll have to turn in my uniform after this one." I muttered. "I'm as good as done."

"Aw come on-"

"I'm serious, Lester. I'm a screw up. I'm a loser. I could have killed him."

"You aren't a..._complete_ loser." I turned to glare at him and he held up his hands. "Chill, it was just a joke. Come on Steph, it's not that bad. The point is; you didn't kill him and he's perfectly okay. The cops won't be involved and all the nurses think it was just an accident."

We sat in silence for a beat while I mulled that over.

"So how actually did you shoot him again?"

I felt my face flush and turned away. "My finger slipped..."

He stared at me doubtfully. "You're lucky no one was monitoring at the time."

Fuck. I'd need to get that tape.

"Don't bother. Ranger ordered it destroyed."

I stifled a giggle. I guess he didn't want his men to see my response to his kiss was to bodily injure him.

"It's simply_ amazing_." Lester started again. "I've seen him dodge mines, bombs, rocket launchers, missiles, detonators, boa constrictors, wild boars, tanks, Semis, trees, knives, whatever you can think of! But who would have known his downfall was a skinny little white girl from _the burg_?" He easily dodged my fist to his shoulder and put a hand to his heart. "Where have you been all my life?"

I smiled in spite of myself.

"I'm pretty sure he won't fire you." Lester stated a minute later. "I mean, if he became a paraplegic then yes, your ass would be grass but he's totally fine. One day, we'll all look back on this day and laugh."

I gave him an unimpressed stare.

He shrugged. "Or you know..._I'll_ laugh."

I sighed and held out my hands. "Car keys."

"What?"

"Car keys. I need some. Brett was my ride and he left."

Lester stared for a second before digging in his pocket and producing some. I knew that the rest of the men could ride in Tank's vehicle. "Where are you going? I can drive you if you want."

I ignored him, shot to my feet and stomped away. I could hear Lester in the background asking what was wrong and that he had just joking but I fazed him out. I was on mission. A mission of salvation. A mission of repentance. And I would not fall asleep until this mission was done.

I had four targets in the shooting range to hit.

Technically, I had three but I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that Ranger didn't actually count.

* * *

_Poosh._

Miss.

_Poosh. Poosh._

Miss. Miss.

_Poosh. Poosh. Poosh. Poosh._

Miss. Miss. Miss. Miss.

I glared down at the gun in my hand. The same one who had shot Ranger and was dead set on not letting me hit a single target. I glared down at it and thought about stomping it into the ground but knew better. I didn't want to shoot another person _and_ myself in the same day. That just wouldn't sit well with my already tarnished reputation.

The gun. It was mocking me. I knew it was. The metal glinted off the lights in the room and showed my reflection on its muzzle. As if to say; _you will never hit a target Stephanie Plum, you are a failure!_

The sad part was, I couldn't even bring myself to disagree with its mock.

Holy crap. Was I speaking telepathically to a gun?

_Damn guns_. This was why I hated them. All they did was bring more torment and discontent to my already tormented and discontented life. I sighed and dangled the thing in my hold, squeezing onto it tight. The accident with Ranger wasn't going to make me shrink away from handling it (although it had come close). I'd just practice more and learn how to navigate these nasty little assassins.

The gun's taunting was back._ You will never master it Stephanie Plum!_

I wondered how it knew my name.

Once again, I leveled the gun up with the targets and breathed in deep before letting it in a gush. I needed to do this. I needed to concentrate. I needed to hit a damn target so I could face the guys. This was my last chance to show Ranger I was worth the hassle.

_You will never do it Stephanie Plum!_

Who was I kidding? The damn gun was right. This day had went from bad to worst in less than two seconds and it had all been my fault.

Who shoots their boss because they're afraid of getting a damn kiss?

_Stephanie Plum!_

Who disobeys enough orders to said boss to be on probation within the first two days?

_Stephanie Plum!_

Who can't get out of the disaster box that has kept her enclosed for the larger part of her life?

_Stephanie Plum!_

Albeit, that last one didn't directly pertain to today but I fit it in.

With a surge of unexpected anger and rage, I closed my eyes tightly and unloaded all my bullets on that fucking target range. When I reopened them, I was star struck.

I hit all the targets.

I mean, _every fucking bullet hit a target_! Two in one's head, three in one's chest, two in a leg, five in a shoulder. I hadn't missed once! Excitement flooded my system and I started to scream and twirl around, hugging the dreaded weapon to my chest and kissing the handle. All I had to do was close my eyes and shoot! Who knew!

"I don't know whether I'm afraid or proud."

The smile vanished from my face and I spun around quickly to see Ranger standing behind me, hands on hips. His natural hue was back, he was standing straight, he had changed his clothes and the only remembrance of getting shot was the large patch on his abdomen.

His _very_ bare abdomen under his very bare chest.

Ranger wasn't wearing a shirt. Again.

I felt heat rush into two very dominant parts of my body and smiled sheepishly. "Are you okay?"

"Actually...no, I'm not." He walked over to stand before me and I tensed, bracing myself for the inevitable. I was getting fired. "I need some advice."

I froze and stared at him suspiciously. "What?"

"Could you give me some advice? I have a problem."

I glanced around, searching for hidden cameras. "Uh...sure, I guess."

"Recently, I've hired this woman to my once-all-male team. Now, she's very stubborn and she isn't really all that adept or graceful, for that matter." I frowned at his smile.

"Why'd you hire her then?"

Ranger reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "I liked her spirit." I felt my heart start to speed up and shook my head just in case I was daydreaming. When I glanced back up, he was still grinning down at me. Fuck, this was _actually_ happening! "And, although she has already managed to disobey me, insult me and shoot me; I'm willing to keep her on the team."

I scoffed, smiling. "I would have fired her already."

Ranger shrugged. "I have faith in her."

My smile dropped and I stared up at him in surprise. "You do?"

"Yes. But then again, I haven't known her that long and I'm high off of painkillers from said shot." I scowled again and he laughed. It was wholehearted, deep and echoed brilliantly off the walls.

"I'm sure she's sorry about shooting you." I mumbled meekly.

"I'm sure she is too."

"So what's that problem you were talking about?"

"She _is_ my problem." Ranger murmured in a low, intense voice. "Because for as long as _I_'ve known, I've _never_ been this kind. I think she put a spell on me."

I blinked in astonishment. "Maybe you're actually soft at heart."

He smirked. "I doubt it."

"Well...maybe she brings out the best in you."

"It's a possibility."

"Maybe...you like _more_ than just her spirit." I held my breath after wards.

Ranger's lip twitched. "I wouldn't rule that out. She does have a nice chest."

He then stretched out his arm, yanked the gun from my grasp and kissed me.

I've always thought that when you kiss someone you're suppose to have a connection with, fireworks go off in your head and electricity beams out your body. With Dickie, none of those things happened. Kissing the Dickmyster was like kissing a brick wall.

Ranger was no brick wall.

He was all raw, fierce, animalistic passion. Scratch fireworks. Explosives sounded off. There was enough electricity to short circuit every nerve in my body.

It all sounded very good, yes. But in retrospect, it was all very bad. Having a thing for the boss you shot? That spelled out bad news. But hey, I was the definition of that. Let's not forget however that he initiated it. That meant he had a thing for me too, right? I don't know. I can't think straight with his tongue down my throat.

When he pulled away, I was seeing stars. He handed my gun back and I held onto it dazedly.

"What was that?" I asked breathlessly.

Ranger grinned a grin that showed his killer teeth. "Long overdue." He glanced out towards the shooting range. "Nice shooting by the way. Maybe next time, you can open your eyes."

Then he was gone. Walking up the steps.

I stood there, staring after him with an open mouth. Once again, I was hanging in mental incredulity.

I glanced down at the metal weapon in my hand.

"He kisses well, huh?"

I wasn't surprised when the gun didn't reply. Kissing was a pleasure it couldn't experience. Poor thing. Maybe that was why it teased me so much. Maybe it was jealous.

Or maybe I needed to go home, get some rest and stop speaking to inanimate objects.

I went with the lather and headed out, speaking with the gun while I did so, telling it about the new life it would live in my home. And I let it know I'd engage the safety from now on.

The gun seemed pleased.

* * *

A/N: Wow man. I could NOT figure out how to end this chapter. That probably explains the weird ass ending up there, LOL. Well...hope ya enjoyed! More will come soon! PS: 4 more days until school T_T ugh.


	9. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

* * *

"Stephanie, I need to speak with you."

Gulp. Ranger wanted me. I sucked in a deep breath and then let it out in a gush, walking sturdily up to the man while he leaned on the wall outside of the garage elevator. He was in all black, looked angry and had his arms folded across his chest. I bit my lip. "Yes?"

"I have something to tell you."

I waited, tensing. He was so unpredictable. No one ever knew what he'd have in mind each day.

His face suddenly softened, his arms reached out and he started to stroke my face. "I think you're the most beautiful thing in the world and even though we haven't known each other for that long, I love you and I think we should get married, have some kids, move away from Trenton and join a church that would make both our mothers proud." He smiled a 100 watt smile. I want to be with you for the rest of my life. I have never met someone as amazing as you. You are my soul mate. You are my confidant. You are my everything."

The only thing I managed to get out of my throat was a strangle noise. See what I mean about unpredictable?

Ranger than ripped off his shirt. "I'm taking you right now on the garage floor to show everyone you're mines."

I made no complaint. Hell, I nodded and let him drag me down. He tore off his pants with one strong yank. I had been right. He went commando.

God Bless him.

I watched him quickly but smoothly strip off my clothes. Then he swung his leg over to straddle my waist and-

_RING. RING. RING._

The images and colors flushed out instantly and morphed into a sea of black. I groaned and cracked my eyes open, surveying the area. Unpainted walls, cushions under me, dresser drawer to the right. Fuck. I was in my apartment bedroom. It had all been a dream. A sweet, sweet, dirty, great dream. I growled low in my throat and laid eyes on the cause of the interruption.

Damn alarm clock.

With a heavy sigh, I heaved myself to a sitting position and pounded on the alarm button until it shut off. I yawned, stretched and then listlessly moved to the in my apartment bathroom.

While I let the cold water hit my..._heated_ body parts, I let my mind wander. Setting my alarm had obviously been a wrong move to make. Then again, it was necessary. I didn't want to be late to work. Especially not on this date.

Today was _the_ day.

I was finally allowed to go after a FTA on my own.

I spent a good three weeks training and learning and obsessing over being a Primo bounty hunter. I spent hours on the shooting range, took some obstacle courses, watched Rambo and Batman movies, everything. It had been made perfectly clear that if I really wanted to go hunting down criminals, I'd need a shitload of preparation. Was I the greatest? Hell no. Was I okay? I'd like to think so. The guys took it pretty serious while I kinda didn't...Don't get me wrong, yes, I _did_ want to become better but mostly because I didn't want to go back to doing desk searches. Ironically enough, I had to work at my cubby while I trained as well. Patience was _not_ my strong suit. Which was probably why I squeezed in a few 'first hand' jobs.

Along with practicing, I went in search of Joe Morelli on the side.

As it stood right now, no one knew about these separate escapades. So far, I had spoken to his mother (who had, very thoroughly, cursed me out), asked around a bit and I had already worked up the courage and free time to trump around his apartment with the permission from the landlord. I had found nothing however. No clues, messages, evidence. Nothing.

I tried hard to keep it all a secret. I knew for certain that Ranger would flip if he found out I was already out skip searching. He was so painfully focused on teaching me more about it first. Ensuring that I knew what the hell I was getting myself into.

Speaking of which_, the boss_ was in one of his 'moods'. Or whatever the hell it was called when he went into his own little world and blocked everyone else out. He had spoken to me a total of three times (two of those times involved one word answers and statements). He_ just_ came back two days ago from being 'in the wind' and his temper was rapidly receding. The guys, and I quote, offered this magnificent line to explain his actions:

_"There are a lot of things on his mind."_

Psh. Right. Like I didn't have a lot of things on my mind? Fine okay, I had shot the man but he seemed perfectly content with it when he kissed me. I frowned. Ever since that damn kiss weeks ago, I couldn't get _him_ out of my head. It was driving me insane. And now I was dreaming about the man. Wasn't that just great? I mean, the kiss wasn't that fucking good!

Okay fine, it was incredible. But I didn't want to bring that up. If he could ignore me and pretend it never happened, I could too!

Turns out I couldn't. Because I was dreaming about him and I doubted he was doing the same.

I got out of the shower, pampered up, dressed in the Rangeman attire and waltzed into my kitchen. I waved hello to a hyperactive Rex while filling up his food dish, took out a cup and started up the coffee maker.

Yes! You heard right.

I now had a coffee maker.

If you hadn't seen it before then you probably didn't realize how utterly lacking my apartment had been three weeks ago. No couch, no TV, no desk, no _coffee maker_. But after my paycheck came in? Well, let's just say my financial problems disappeared completely. I had a couch, a TV, desks, fishbowl with no fish, stacks of candy and sweets, rugs, a coffee maker, a huge purse-bag, tons of things! Just one perk from working at Rangeman.

Shit, I think that might have been the only _perk_ from working at Rangeman. I swear, they either had to be running some underground, illegal, drug business or were superheroes who received money from the state for saving the world.

As you can see, my imagination is overwhelming sometimes.

"See Rex?"I asked, mouth full of Fruit Loops. "This isn't so bad huh? We're living the good life. So what if my boss is a dick? I can get past that. And just think; after I catch Morelli, things will only get better."

Rex didn't reply. I'm not sure he knew Morelli.

"But first," I hefted my bag onto my shoulder. "I need to go and start my first official day as a bounty hunter. Exciting huh!"

Rex twitched his nose at me. I took that as him being excited. I washed down the cereal with a chug of Sunny D.

"Hey, maybe I'll become so good that Ranger will see me in a new light. Maybe I'll get another kiss." Fuck. I think I wanted one.

Rex stopped running and stared at up me with his little beady black eyes. He doubted it. I didn't blame him.

* * *

I take back my earlier claim. There was a second perk that came from working at Rangeman.

_Amazing cars_.

At the moment, I was sliding into a slot at the garage, sitting in a sleek, black, Mustang. It had been issued to me a few days ago when Lester stated, for all to hear, "We can't have a fellow partner riding around in a tragic vehicle of epic proportions. It'll make us look bad." Thus was born the days of me driving a Mustang. The seats were heated, soft and probably expensive. The wheels were chrome with spinners (an accessories for vehicles I had never fully came to understand the significance to), the exterior was shiny and these was an array of buttons on the dash I had yet to figure out.

I stepped out of the car, feeling like a badass in my dark clothes. All I needed now was a cape and some sunglasses.

"Well, look at you." Brett whistled as I came to stop before him. He was leaning on the wall...in the exact same spot Ranger had been in my dream. I felt my cheeks burn and tried to cover it up with a wide smile. "You're a regular Batgirl."

I scowled at his devilish smirk. A couple of days ago, the guys had heard me refer to Ranger as Batman. In my defense, I thought I had been mentally saying it and now, they weren't letting up about it. They all swore I had a crush on him.

I dished out a lot of punches to the gut that day.

Brett danced away from my swing and stuck out his tongue. "Missed."

"Asshole."

"I love you too." I sneered and he smiled.

"I see you're all pumped up for your first day." We both turned to Lester who was grinning sweetly, eyebrows raised.

"Ready as I'll ever be."

Lester walked over to stand before me. "The boss ordered me to make sure you had everything."

I blinked, my smile slowly dropping. "He's not going to see me off?" It sounded like such a dumb thing to say. I wasn't as if I was going into war. But...I don't know, I figured _he'd_ want to make sure I was all set. He had, after all, spent so much time honing skills on me.

They exchanged looks and I knew what they were thinking. "Is that a problem?" Lester teased, putting on a lopsided smile.

"It was just a question." I shoved my purse towards him. "Everything's there."

Lester blinked and poked around in my bag, holding up things to the light to better inspect them. It was filled with miscellaneous things really. Lip gloss, mirrors, wallet, keys. And then the things for taking down a FTA: Handcuffs, stun gun, the badge Tank had given me to flash for authority and authenticity. He handed it back. "Where's the gun?"

Damn. I thought he'd overlook it. I smiled nervously. The gun (which I had named Nathan...don't judge me) was sitting in my cookie jar. Why, you ask? Well...because I don't think Nathan was ready for the field yet. I mean he was going to be held in an amateur's hands and would probably be very, very anxious. I didn't want Nathan to live through the guilt of accidentally shooting someone again.

Brett barked in laughter. "Damn. You sure do make up some outrageous excuses." I had spoken out loud again. No amount of training could help my mouth, it seemed.

"Fine!" I grumbled in frustration. "I'm still not that comfortable carrying it around." More like, I still didn't feel right wielding a gun to an actual _person._ Show me a target dummy and I'd blow his head off. Show me a middle aged male and I'd freeze.

"Stephanie, you need it." Lester sighed.

"Why?"

"For protection. You do know that most of Trenton is armed, right?"

I did. But I would have rather been in the ratio of people who didn't however. Like my mom and Rex.

"Really? Well would you rather carry it and be in the ratio of people who are still _breathing_?" Brett asked dryly.

I bit my lip and glanced down at my feet.

Lester sighed again and raised my chin so I had to look at him. "Sweetie, you've been practicing with it for _three weeks_. Aside from the accident with Ranger, you're actually pretty good with it."

I groaned and stomped my foot. "_Fine_. I'll carry it."

They both smiled and Lester patted my head. Out of all of the males, I had to admit that Lester was one of my closest friends. Brett, Tank, Hal, Binkie and some others were as well. I had become relaxed enough to be my silly, bipolar, sometimes unorthodox and instinctive self around them. I had yet to show off my crazy side however...if I already, unintentionally, hadn't. I suppose they'd see that soon enough. Good luck could only go so far when it came to me.

I was bound to hit a bit of karma creeping around. And it'd probably come from my lie to the men just recently. I had my fingers crossed.

I wasn't going to go and retrieve the gun.

Twenty minutes later, I was pulling into the driveway of a medium sized, brick walled home on 5077 Limeing Street. It belonged to Clarence Sampson. The first FTA on my list and, technically, the first FTA I'd go after all by myself. The guys kept repeating that the first one hadn't counted due to the fact that I had known the skip. I disagreed but they weren't letting up. _This_ was my first official take down. The picture showed that Clarence was big and fat and the file explained he had been arrested for drunk driving and totaling a police cruiser. Yikes.

Now or never.

I slid out of the car and proceeded towards the door, knocking on it loudly. It came open a few minutes later and Clarence appeared. Same flabby skin, reddened eyes, and scowl from the picture on the Bonds file.

I flashed my badge."Clarence-"

"The hell do you want?" He was drunk. Most definitely. The smell coming off of his breath told me so.

I sighed lowly. Great. Just had to get the drunken FTA on my first try. "My name is Stephanie Plum. I'm here to-"

"I don't want no cookies!"

Right. Because grown women go around and sell cookies. "No. I'm here to let you know you've missed a court date and must reschedule."

"No I didn't."

"Yes, you did."

"Nuh uh."

"_Yes_, you did."

"_No_, I didn't."

I felt my eye twitch and raised a hand to still it. "Sir, I-"

"Get out of my house!"

I blinked. "I'm not in your house."

Suddenly, his face contorted in rage and he roared something unintelligible before reaching out to grab my wrist violently. Before I knew it, I was flying. I opened my eyes in a daze and groaned at the pain reverberating in my forehead. Sitting up, I glanced around to see that Clarence had thrown me off his porch onto the ground. I looked towards the door. It was closed. _Sonvabitch._

With a growl, I sat up, dusted myself off and stomped back up the steps to knock relentlessly on the door. There was no way this fat slob was going to ruin my first capture.

Clarence reappeared, his eyes red and gazing lazily at me. "Who are you?" He asked a beat later.

Mental head slap. I know, I know. I should have probably left. He was at least a billion pounds larger than me AND he was drunk. Not a good combo. But, like the Jersey gal I am, I hiked up my bag and squared my shoulders. "If you would, could you come with me?"

"To where?"

I said, "To get rebonded out. You've missed a court date and-"

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did."

"Nuh uh."

"Yes-

"NO!"

FUCK! We were just going around in circles. I was getting nowhere. "Listen!" I screamed, narrowing my eyes. My patience had met its abrupt end. "You need to come with me now so-" I reached in my bag, pulled out the cuffs and slapped one on his wrist before he could even comprehend it. "-come on."

Clarence froze, glanced down at the metal item, stared at it for a second and then jerked his hand back, causing me to stumble forward and lose my grip on it. I tried to regain my footing but he grabbed me by the shoulders and pushed me back. "YOU'LL NEVER CATCH ME ALIVE COPPERS!"

Yes, coming back was a bad idea.

I landed on my butt again on the grass but this time he didn't give me time to get up before he picked me u by the waist and took off at a trot towards the side of the house. I stated screaming, kicking and punching but his forearms were bigger than my entire body. There was no way I was getting out of his hold.

Ten seconds later, I was lying in a dumpster. Clarence had slung me over his shoulder, threw me in and slammed the lid shut.

I laid there in both stunned silence and outrage. Of course my first take down is a complete _BUST_. I was too embarrassed to get out. I'd have to return to Rangeman empty handed with banana peels in my hair, soda on my shirt and a bad odor. _Ugh_.

Wait, no. I wouldn't give up. I needed to go back and try again. Maybe trick him into thinking I'd give him some beer. Yeah, that's the way to go.

Done with my contemplation in the dumpster, I sat up. But before I could raise my hands to push the lid up, it came open by itself. I blinked and watched as a head poked through the opening.

"Steph?"

"Lester?" He reached in and helped me out, setting me down softly on the pavement. Tank and Hal were with him. They were all smiling. "What the heck are you guys doing here?"

"Saving your ass from the dumpster." Hal muttered. I frowned at him. "No wonder Ranger ordered us to look after you." He was quickly pummeled with punches from the other males. My eyes widened slightly at first before narrowing dangerously.

"Ranger sent you...to _track_ me?" Figures. One side of me was, once again, outraged. Did he not think I could do it myself! He had claimed before that he had faith in me. Had that faith vanished suddenly? The other side of me was flattered that he, maybe slightly, cared about my well-being enough to assign bodyguards.

"No, no." Lester quickly bounced back. "Hal meant to say...Ranger ordered us to make sure you...didn't fall into dumpsters?" Smooth, real smooth. He shrugged at Tank's disbelieving glare.

I stood my ground and wiped off the front of my shirt. "Well, thank you but I'm just fine. You can leave now and tell that arrogant jerk I don't need his help."

They exchanged glances. Obviously, respecting Ranger's wishes was higher on their lists of priorities than listening to me. "We'll only help a little." Tank stated while the other two nodded vigorously.

"NO!" I huffed, balling my hands into fists. "I don't need your help. Leave!"

"Steph, you were in the dumpster." Lester pointed out the oh so obvious fact, lifting a wrapper out of my hair.

"I was just resting..."

"In a dumpster?"

"Is that a crime?"

They stared.

"Just...GO! This is_ my _day. My FTAs."

"We just want you safe." Hal added in with a mutter. I often got a vibe from him that reflected his feelings of resentment and frustration towards me. I couldn't blame him.

"Yeah...hey, where's your gun-?"

"I _am_ safe." I cut off Lester quickly to deter the subject. "Now shoo. I have a man to catch."

"Actually-"

I blew past them angrily without listening to the rest of Lester's statement, clenching my teeth. Ranger! Ugh. He was doing it again. Being irritating, sweet and sexy all at once. I know, I know. His action of sending the guys after me didn't specifically single out his sexiness but...Hell, this was Ranger. I bet he looked sexy ensuring the orders. I started to head towards the door again but froze when something caught my eye. I turned slowly to stare into the Mustang's windshield.

Gradually, the anger surfaced.

"YOU IDIOTS!" I screeched, glaring at Clarence Sampson who was tied up, knocked out and packed neatly into the back off the car. "THIS WAS _MY FTA_!" I repeated in a high whine, stomping my foot. I bet I resembled a five year old having a temper tantrum to perfection. I spun to unleash more of my wrath on the guys, didn't see them anywhere behind me and then twirled back around when I heard an engine rev to life.

I watched with fury laced eyes while they drove off, shooting me wide smiles and peace signs.

My right eye twitched.

Motherfuckers.

* * *

"Hello, I'm Stephanie Plum, bonds enforcement agent and I'm here to tell you that you've missed a court date."

As you can see, I wasn't one to be easily discouraged. After dropping Clarence off at the police station and making sure I wasn't being followed, I went straight to the second FTA file I obtained. It was of a Hyde Rolex; a tall, lanky man with gold teeth. He had been charged for physically abusing women, depriving others of necessities and reckless endangerment. Simply put, the guy was a pimp. And, like all lowlifes in Trenton, he lived on a run down apartment building on Stark Street.

Stark Street was a small, dark, desolate part of Trenton where anyone who wasn't a gang member, murderer, pimp, 'ho or overly muscled guy, feared to tread. So yes, a skinny white girl like me? I was most certainty at a disadvantage. Actually, at this point, I was angry at myself for being so stubborn at bringing Nathan and refusing the guy's help.

Yet, there was also a flip side to this. Killing birds with one stone and all that. Not only would I take in Hyde but I'd get to check out Benito Ramirez, a man who was either, directly or indirectly, connected to the Morelli case. Ramirez was a famous boxer residing in Trenton. Word on the street was that he knew the man Morelli had allegedly offed; Ziggy and had some sort of relationship with Carman Sanchez, a woman who had been spotted on the scene but was now missing. It all sounded fishy and weird to me but I'd forge on to do the job. I figured my best course of action would have been to question Ramirez, get his side of the story (if he had one), see if that lead me anywhere and then go on from there.

But first, I needed to take in Hyde. Pimp Hot chocolate, a woman had referred to him as actually. He was at least seven feet, dark black and had a lot of shiny jewelry and chains. His eyes were red but not from lack of sleep. I could smell the fumes emitting from inside.

I resisted a groan. First Clarence was drunk and now Hyde was high. _Great_.

Hyde squinted at me. "What?"

I tried a different approach this time around. "I'm here to let you know that you've won a million dollars!" I forced a smile his way.

He eyed me. "I won?"

"That's right."

"A _trillion_ dollars?"

"Yep."

He glanced around. "Well, where it's at?"

I motioned outwards towards the steps. "All you have to do is follow me and I'll take you to it."

There was a beat of silence where he just sat staring at me before he shrugged and ambled off down the stairs. I smirked victoriously at his back while I followed him. Hah. This was what drugs did to you kids. Never ever smoke. I did once and everything got freaky. But that was back in college. I was experimenting.

We passed by a few wary looking hookers who Hyde assured to that he was fine and we made it out of the building to see some kids trying to break into the Rangeman Mustang. One had a crow bar; digging into the window and the other was kicking the door. My eyes widened in panic and anger. Damn it. Why'd I leave it unattended _here_!

"Hey!" I shrieked, waving my hands around and running towards them. They looked back, froze and then took off at a dead bolt across the street. A moment of insanity came upon me and I chased them all the way to the street and stopped to catch my breath when they disappeared over a fence. I'm not sure why they ran but was grateful they had. I'm pretty sure I wasn't that intimidating and wouldn't have been able to fend them off alone.

Satisfied, I turned around just in time to see the Mustang speed by with Hyde in the driver's side. I gaped at it for a long minute, watching the dust trail behind it while it slowly faded down the street.

Sonvabitch stole my car. Stole Ranger's car!

"Huh." Said a voice from beside me. "That's too bad."

I turned to my left to see two women. They both were very heavyset, plump and fat. Their tight attire gave off the impression of being 'hos. But who was I to assume? For all I knew, they liked spandex.

"I saw that coming." The other said. "Hyde does like shiny cars."

"You know him?" I asked.

"Heck yes. He's our pimp. Dumb mutherfucker is always taking off. I'm surprised he didn't-"

Just then, the building Hyde had been staying in exploded. I mean, just..._BOOM_! Debris flew everywhere; flames licked the air and car alarms sounded. Instinctively, I crouched and protected my head with my arms. When I stood back up, the building was in ruins. I felt the blood rush from my face.

"-set it on fire." The woman finished in disgust. "He did it again."

I gave them wide eyed looks of pure disbelief. They weren't freaking out, no one around was freaking out. There was no pandemonium once so ever. What the hell! Where I lived at, stuff didn't just explode out of nowhere. I could have been in that fucking building! I shuddered at the mere thought.

"Damn white girl." The biggest one scorned. "You all pale. Don't worry, he do that all the time. Hyde cooks up the biggest, baddest weed ever found. Or he tries to. He always ends up doing something wrong and setting the place on fire. No biggie."

NO BIGGIE? No biggie? People had just died and she said it was no biggie?

"You don't look so good. You got white glop on your shirt. What is that? You smell like a dumpster. Maybe you should lay down. "

Yeah. Lie down and never ever wake up again.

"Come on." The bigger one said, craning her neck. "Ima be generous enough to drive you home. I don't usually do this but you look like you're in a pickle."

"What?" The other hissed angrily. "You can't do that! This is our time on the streets. What would Hyde-"

"Hyde is long gone." She turned to me. "And I'm betting white girl here needs a ride considering that her car is gone."

I blinked in astonishment. I wasn't so sure if riding in a car with a random stranger/hooker was such a good idea. I mean, I wasn't one to judge but uh...the woman was big and scary looking. But she _was_ right. I had no mode of transportation. So it was either take her offer or risk my life walking out of here.

I glanced at the burning building and the people watching it. Sirens blared in the distant. "Okay." I agreed finally. "You're right. I need a ride. I'd appreciate it a ton actually."

She smiled. "I thought so. What's your name white girl?

"Stephanie. Stephanie Plum." I replied. "Yours?"

"I'm Lula. And my friend here is Jackie."

* * *

A/N: Hah! Fit in Lula. Three days left until School. (counting down, haha) UGH. I'm just glad the first day is a half of day. BTW; they never mentioned who Lula's pimp was did they? If so, I'm sorry for using someone else. Just roll with it for the sake of the story.

Hope you all enjoyed enough to review! More coming soon!


	10. Chapter Nine

A/N: Chapters might be a little shorter than before thanks to the education system. Hope you enjoy this!

* * *

Chapter Nine

* * *

I gave Lula the directions to my apartment building. My plan was to change out of these filthy clothes, grab a bite to eat, feed Rex and then go from there. I figured I had one of two choices. Either I went back to Rangeman, confess that the Truck was stolen and, most likely, face Ranger's wrath and the guys' teasing OR I could try to go after Hyde and get the damn thing back before anyone knew about it.

I opted with the second option.

My phone started to ring and I glanced down at my purse sitting in the backseat of Lula's car. For such a big-boned lady, she sure did know how to pick out a car. A red, 1999 Pontiac Firebird was what she called her 'baby'. It looked pretty neat actually. I wouldn't have minded to drive around in it if I wasn't recently car-less due to a crack addict slash pimp slash _Hot_ _Chocolate_.

I stretched to retrieve my phone. "Hello?"

Silence. "Where are you?" Fuck. It was Hal and he sounded slightly amused but wary.

"Uh..." I glanced over at Lula who was cursing out of the window at another car. "Just...driving around Stark Street looking for a skip."

More silence. "That can't be." He muttered. "The scanner says you're in the next city..."

I squinted my eyes in confusion. "What scanner..." I paused and growled out, "YOU PLANTED BUGS ON ME?"

From the commotion I heard in the background, I could tell someone else was listening in and that, whoever it was, they were probably punching Hal because he was yelping. Hal came back to the line. "No, no...uh...all the Rangeman cars have a tracking device in them, remember?"

Oh. Yeah, right. I had forgotten. Stupid me. Damn it. That meant Hyde was long gone and I'd have to face the music."Maybe it's malfunctioning."

More silence. "What did you do?"

I frowned. "What makes you think I did anything?"

"Is someone with you? I hear screaming."

Lula huffed, stuck her head back in and screeched off. I gave her a wide eyed look and slowly buckled my seat belt. "You're just hearing things. I have to go. Talk to you later." Then I shut off the phone and pocketed it.

Lula turned to look at me. "Who was that?"

I shrugged. "Wrong number."

Her face morphed into an expression that told me she didn't believe me for a second but didn't question it. My phone rang again. My mom.

"Stephanie, where are you? Are you coming home for dinner?"

Gag. I didn't really feel like dealing with my mother. Especially not today that had started off bad and slowly transforming into something worst. And it wasn't as if she had any food I couldn't already but. But, like the devoted daughter I am, I agreed. I could use some of my mother's famous pineapple upside down cake.

* * *

"Damn white girl, you have a nice ass apartment."

Would you believe me if I told you that NO one had ever said that to me before? Not my friends, neighbors, electricians. Not even my own parents the first time I moved in. My memory is a little fading and vague but I think my mother's exact words were, "It'll due." Followed by my father's low curse of, "Christ."

So yeah, it felt kind of good to receive the compliment. Even if it was from a large, half naked, black hooker. Said hooker was sitting down on my couch, getting comfortable. I felt my eye twitch. I wasn't normally someone who took a lot of time with house cleanliness. Back when I was a little kid, my room was always messy. But, I got a little tumble in my stomach from the sight before me. Was it smart to let a hooker's almost bare ass touch your couch cushions?

I'd disinfect later.

I told her I'd be right back, went into my room to change and freshen up and came back out a few minutes later in new clothes and washed hair. Lula was in the kitchen by now, nosing around in my cabinets. "This place is stocked." She told me when I walked in. "Fuck. I wanna work for whoever you work for."

I nearly burst into laughter. No the hell she did not. Her eyes eyed my attire. "I forget to ask, what's up with all the black? You're not a secret agent are you?"

"No uh...I work for a security company."

"Doing what?"

I shrugged. "Up until today desk jobs. I've kinda been promoted to...bounty hunter."

"Like shooting people and dragging their asses in?"

"Sorta." More like leaving your gun in the cookie jar and getting knocked back on _your_ ass.

She mulled that over while clicking her tongue. "It must be real nice."

Mostly. When I wasn't getting throw in dumpsters, losing the company's car or having some sort of cat and mouse chase with the boss.

"You involved with the boss?" Damn it. I needed to stop speaking aloud.

"No. He's a jackass. I hate him. He annoys me to no end. I'd be better off without him in my life. He's scum."

Lula stared at me for a second before laughing. "You in love with him."

I gave her a wide eyed look mixed with horror and disbelief. "I barely know him!"

"You know him enough to fall in love with him. I've seen it before white girl. It's in your eyes."

I sneered and folded my arms across my chest. What the hell did she know anyway? In my eyes? HA! Nothing was in my eyes but a blue hue and maybe a few loose eyelash strands because the left one was burning a little.

"Hey, what's this? A criminal case?"

I turned to see that Lula's attention had drifted to something on the counter next to Rex. I furrowed my eyebrows and peeked over her shoulder to get a better look at whatever it was she was staring at. I groaned silently when I caught sight of it. Morelli's file was lying wide open, papers slightly scattered out with dried up juice stains on a few of the corners.

"Holy shit." Lula exclaimed. "This is Joe Morelli."

I blinked. "You know him?"

"Damn near everyone knows him. He's that vice cop gone bad, right?" I nodded. "Word around the street is he shot someone."

"Someone named Ziggy." I snaked my hand around to grab the paper she held in her hand and straighten up the file. "I was on my way to talk with Ramirez about it after my incident with Hyde. I have reason to believe he might know some information about the missing woman on the scene; Carmen Sanchez."

Lula's eyebrows rose. "Benito Ramirez? Hunh. I always wanted to meet him."

I glanced at my watch. It was around three o'clock. Hal had told me that the car was in the next city which meant Hyde was either still going or had turned around to come back. You'd think his fucking weed high would have worn off by now. "Do you know where Hyde might go?" I asked Lula while strapping on my bag. "A home? A family's house?"

She shrugged. "He don't really go anywhere. Just drive around a bit and come back to Stark Street. But considering that the apartment burned down, I'm not so sure if he'll stay long. He should be back later tonight probably. Or...not at all."

I sighed. There was no guarantee he'd come back. That Mustang was out of my reach. Damn. "Come on." I muttered, dropping some Cheez-its into Rex's food dish and then heading towards the foyer.

"Where we going?" She asked, right behind me.

"To my workplace." I strained out through clenched teeth.

"Oh boy. Do I get to meet that boss you love?"

I put a hand to my eye to keep it from twitching. She was lucky she was so much bigger than me. There was no way I'd punch her in the gut.

* * *

"I'm going to go ahead and ask the two most obvious questions here; "Lester started in a stern voice, hands on hips. "What the hell happened to the car and _who is that_?"

He was referring to Lula who, at the moment, was receiving shocked looks from the few guys in the garage. Not just because of her weight or clothes but because of her Firebird too. I could see some appreciate looks towards it. The men were impressed. I smiled sheepishly. "Old friend?"

Lester didn't smile.

I sighed. "Fine. I uh...sorta had a problem with the Mustang and Lula, that's her name, helped me out."

He stared at the large woman. A few of the guys were slowly approaching her and her car; probably looking to start up a conversation about it. She didn't look frazzled by the buffaloes at all.

Lester shook his head and held up his hands to cease my continuation. "I don't even want to hear it. Matter fact, I wasn't here. I didn't see you, her, the car, anything."

I paused. "So...uh...where's Ranger?"

"Upstairs in his apartment. He just came back from a meeting." Lester pursed his lips. "Hal's still watching the monitor. We sent out someone to go collect the car."

I grinned, hope returning. "So I'm off the hook! You found it?"

He smiled. I swear he got a kick out of me failing. "Yes we found it. But did we find it intact? No."

My chest deflated and I felt bile rise in my throat. "Guess I'll go give Ranger the news." I muttered shamefully.

"Good luck."

"You're being very unhelpful, you know."

He gave me a blank stare. "The last time I tried to help you, you called me an idiot."

I groaned and rolled my eyes before glanced over at Lula. She was talking with Brett and Tank. "Could you at least keep an eye on her for me?"

Lester smirked. "Afraid the guys will try to jump her?"

I shrugged "Either that or she shoots them."

"She carries a gun?"

"Most of Trenton does." I smiled, repeating Lester's own line from earlier today. He frowned and I skipped away onto the elevator. The last thing I saw before the doors closed was Tank's face going red.

I breathed in some air, let it out, smoothed out my clothes and then raised my fists. I was standing on the seventh floor, skulking around the door to Ranger's private apartment to work up the courage to knock. So far, I had backed down five times. I tensed, reached out towards it and then retracted it again. _Come on Steph, just do this._

Easier said than done.

I hung my head wearily. I was so pathetic. No, I was more than pathetic, I was useless. I had ruined a billion dollar car! Well not directly but...I had gotten it stolen! Ranger was never going to let me live this down. This was a disaster. My first day alone on a job and it turned into a total tragedy. How was I supposed to tell him this? His tiny spark of faith would disappear.

I turned to leave, feeling exhausted and sad. He was probably busy, I assured myself, Probably resting, eating, something. I'd tell him as soon as he came out.

Before I could walk away however, the door came open. I froze and Ranger's dark eyes bored into mines. A smile hovered over his lips.

"I knew someone was out here muttering to themselves." He stated, eyes unblinking.

I forced a fake smile his way. I mind as well get it over with now. "Can I come in?" I asked quietly."I have something to tell you..."


	11. Chapter Ten

A/N: I'm only four days into school and it's already draining the life out of me. Sorry for the delayed chapter. Hopefully, I can get the next one out sooner. Thank you all for the reviews and I pray you all continue to enjoy my story! Thanks again and much love to you all!

* * *

Chapter Ten

* * *

Ranger gave me one of his oh so perfected blank stares. "Could you talk and walk at the same time?" He asked while closing the door and brushing past me. "I have somewhere to be."

It was then that I noticed he was in a suit. A crisp, all black suit that molded to his body perfectly and made him look even sexier, if such a thing was possible. My eyes bulged out and I stopped my jaw from dropping with a little bit of self control. Maybe a few weeks ago, I would have ogled him to no end but now; I was pretty much composed. Hey, what do you know? All that training from him _had_ gotten me somewhere. I was learning how to mask my feelings. This could either be extremely useful or devastatingly dishonest.

"Babe." He started with a little smile, dark eyes twinkling with amusement. "I'm flattered you approve."

Okay so maybe I couldn't hide my feelings _that_ well. I followed him all the way to the elevator without saying a word. Not because I was frightened or embarrassed but because...I couldn't remember what the heck I had been planning to say! It was like his smile flushed out all my thoughts. I cursed quietly to myself. His stupid charm strikes again.

Once in the elevator, I blurted out; "I think you're Batman."

I know, I know. Completely random, inappropriate and probably off topic but it just came out. Sort of like word vomit. Upon seeing him in black with slicked back hair and a killer smile well...it just came to mind. I'd been thinking this for a while actually as you've probably noticed. I thought Ranger knew as well what with the guys and their taunting but the look on his face told me he was completely caught off guard which, in its own right, was like a dream come true. Possibly, this was the most surprised I had ever saw my boss. Eyebrows raised, eyes a bit wide and mouth slightly ajar.

"What made you come to that conclusion?" He finally asked, voice a little strained.

I shrugged. "You wear all black, have a lot of really expensive cars and weapons and you work with security."

"So that makes me a masked vigilante who fights crime by night?"

I smiled at him. "You do...'go into the wind'."

Ranger's lips curved upwards a twitch. "Point taken."

"So, are you?"

He shook his head and the elevator reached the third floor and kept descending. "Was this really what you wanted to tell me?"

_No. I just didn't remember what I wanted to tell you_. I chewed on my bottom lip for a beat before a light bulb went off in my head and I blurted out, once more, "Why'd you send the guys after me!" I balled my hands into fists. "What happened to all that faith crap?"

"I never sent them after you." Obviously, my quick changes in topic weren't fazing him.

I paused and blinked. "But Lester said..." I trailed off and groaned, feeling my face burn. Stupid Lester and Tank and Hal. They must have lied to me. I was just about to explain this aloud until I saw something out of the corner of my eye. Ranger's lip twitched again. "You're lying!" I heard myself scream, pointing at him. "You did send them after me!"

He only smiled.

Before I could continue my rant, the elevator doors opened and we both turned to see a car screech into the lot of the Rangeman building. I saw Ranger's eyebrows furrow slightly at the sight. As soon as the car slowed, I gulped and the memory of the last few hours came back to me. _This_ was what I had wanted to tell him.

Lula flounced out of the driver's side with one man following her example, stumbling out of the passenger side. A closer look told me that the man who had just fell onto the ground with a white face and his shirt off was Tank. I tried to keep the disbelief and confusion off of my face but it was hard. A couple of the other guys stood a few feet away from Lula and her Firebird with similar expressions of cold fear and surprise.

Ranger slowly turned to stare at me and I smiled sheepishly. "Is there something else you wanted to tell me?"

I shuffled my feet and sighed. "I kinda...uh...lost the car."

He didn't respond.

"Well not lost technically but...someone stole it...an FTA stole it. But then it was found...in pieces but uh...before that, I got a ride." We both turned to see the guys' crowd around Tank. I pointed at Lula who was pursing her lips and saying something. "From a hooker."

Ranger remained silent.

"I was going to tell you but uh...I forgot."

I could see his eyes locking onto the half exposed woman in the garage."You left a hooker with my men?"

I shrugged. "I thought they could handle her." Obviously not. He gave me a look and then we headed over to the commotion. I stopped at Lula's side while Ranger continued to his right hand. "What'd you do?" I whispered viciously to her.

All credit to her, the big woman didn't even flinch. She just put a hand on her hip and snorted. "He said he really liked my car so I took him for a ride. I told him I drove pretty fast but the big man was acting all macho so I put the pedal to the floor. Guess he couldn't stomach it." Both of our heads spun to stare at the guy who was being hefted to his feet.

"Where did his shirt go?" I asked.

Lula frowned angrily. "In my car. He threw up all over the seat and his shirt is soaking it up. That man owes me new seat covers."

Talk about irony. Not only did Lula render a heavily muscled man unconscious but she made him throw up. And, to add insult to injury, it was Tank who was easily the hugest of the Rangeman males. I grinned like a Cheshire cat. It didn't get much better than this.

"Holy cow and balls." I felt a hand wrap around my wrist and then suddenly I was pulled sideways. "_Who is that!_" Lula whispered frantically into my ear, digging her fake nails into my skin. And, of course, her gaze was locked onto Ranger who was slapping Tank awake. I rolled my eyes at her dramatic reaction and pried her fingers loose.

"That's my boss."

The smile that spread across her face could have been the size of Mount Rushmore. "_He's the BOSS_! Dang white girl, now I see why you in love with him." I shrieked and covered her mouth with my fingers but it was too late. She had already announced it to the whole world. With a pained expression, I turned around to see that all the men were gazing at us with skeptical, amused eyes.

I laughed nervously and shook my head vigorously. "She was just joking. I'm not in love with anyone." My statement was more directed to Ranger than anyone else. At the moment, he just had his eyebrows raised and a smirk barely touching his lips.

"Buff yuu saff yu luffvd em." Was the muffled declaration from Lula. I shot her a threatening glare. She yanked my hands off. "You did say you loved him!"

"NO I _DIDN'T_!"

"Well, why don't you? He's gorgeous."

I groaned. I heard boots against cement and watched as the guys dispersed reluctantly. Probably Ranger had ordered them to. Lester and Brett were dragging a very disorientated Tank by the arms. Ranger than walked over to us and I swear I heard Lula suck in a deep breath of air.

"Tank's been by my side for many years and not once did I see him faint." He told her. "Congratulations. You're the first one who has accomplished that feat."

She laughed lightly and then pulled me towards her again. "Ima go ahead and leave now. Jackie is probably worried." She said all of this without taking her dark eyes off of Ranger. "Stop by sometime and tell me how it goes." That said, the large woman wedged herself into the Firebird, slammed the door, started it up and screeched out.

I watched her got with a shake of the head and a small smile. Lula was pretty cool actually...when she wasn't making obscene comments.

"I might have to hire her." Ranger gave a slight shrug as a response to my look of disbelief. "She could come in handy with intimidation." He brought out keys, aimed them at a dark, sleek black Porsche and the lights flashed; signaling the deactivation of car alarm. "Speaking of jobs; which FTA stole my Mustang?"

I blinked. "His name was Hyde. He was a pimp on Stark Street. I went in to get him, came back out, chased two other thieves away and then turned around to see him riding off in it."

He gave me a sideways stare. "You left it on Stark Street?"

"Yeah, yeah. I know. Huge Mistake."

"Why didn't you shoot him?"

Damn. I bit my lip. This was where I'd have to lie. Or, at least, attempt to lie. "I tried to pull my gun out but uh...it was all tangled in my purse and-"

"You didn't have it on you, did you?"

"No." I said meekly.

Ranger stared down at his dark loafers for a beat before glancing back up at me. "Do you still have his file?"

I nodded and handed it to him. He grabbed it and stuck it under his arm. "Consider yourself off _his_ case." That was fine by me. I could only imagine what Ranger would do when he caught him. I shuddered at the thought. I would not want to be Hyde right now. "Here." I went wide eyed at the keys being outstretched to me. The ones that belonged to the Porsche. I glanced up at his face, preparing to see a smile or a twitch to indicate he was joking but saw no such thing. Ranger was completely nonchalant.

"You're giving me another car!" A Porsche at that! _His Porsche_! I knew, like everyone else, that this was _Ranger's_ car. His personal one. The one _he_ drove around in. I slowly grabbed the car keys and curled my fist around them. "I don't believe it...I got the other car destroyed and you just...give me this one?"

"Babe, it's just a car." Was his calm reply. "It's expendable."

Wow. I had _really_ expected some cursing and punishments. "Gee...thanks."

"No problem. Now, if you'll excuse me." He started past me, paused and then turned on his heel. "Would you like to accompany me to a party tonight?"

I froze in shock and then sputtered out, "P-party?"

He nodded.

"Like...a house party?"

"Like a banquet." Ranger explained. "It's going to be held by a close friend of mine."

Oh...well, that didn't sound so bad, did it? I mean, it was just a harmless date so...wait a minute! A _date_! _We were going on dates now!_

Ranger heard my 'thoughts'. Probably because I had spoken aloud for the umpteenth time."Not exactly. It's more of a mission. I've gotten a tip that Morris and Jolene Bruno are going to be there. They're wanted for armed robbery and theft. I thought you'd like to help me take them in. Show me how talented you are and that I wasn't wrong to believe in you."

I hadn't wanted it to but my chest deflated instantly and disappointment seeped through. Right, of course. It was just a job and not a date. Nothing more. I needed to stop letting my imagination run off and weave webs of enchantment. At least he was giving me a chance. _Another one_, that is. Maybe giving me the car had been another act of confidence. Looking at it that way made me feel a little bit better actually. "Sure." I said, forcing a smile his way. "I'll help."

Ranger's lip twitched slightly and it was from that small flicker that made me realize he heard the frustration in my voice. "I'll pick you up at eight." His eyes traveled over my body quickly and I my stomach reacted by tumbling. "Wear something pretty and this time; _bring_ your gun."

Then he turned and began walking to a car on the far side of the lot.

There was no way in Hell I was chancing my luck at keeping the Porsche in working order so I immediately went home after grabbing a sandwich from the break room and enduring more teasing from the guys. I swear, some days I just want to shoot them all. Not fatally. Just in the leg or shin.

* * *

I pulled into my apartment parking lot, beeped the alarm on and then trucked into the elevator. I figured I'd rest a bit, go eat at my parents and then find a "pretty" outfit to wear with Ranger tonight. The thought of going to a party by his side wasn't lost on me just yet. For the life of me, I just couldn't get it out of my head. Even if it wasn't official, it still felt like a date and I hadn't went on one of those in a _long_ time. I wondered if he'd bring roses...

I rolled my eyes. Pff. I was acting like a teenager again. This was strictly business. No roses, no kisses, no nothing. We'd catch the bad guys, go home and that would be it. Ranger had made it perfectly clear with his indifferent attitude that there would be no more romantic activities between us anymore. Not that I could blame him. I was a tragedy waiting to happen with a bad temper, overactive mouth and poor people skills. Definitely not girlfriend material.

Heh. Girlfriend. It felt weird to picture Ranger with a girlfriend. His life seemed too...off limits. Like if someone came too close, they'd be pushed back by a hidden force field.

Maybe that was what it was. Maybe I was being shoved away by a force field. The force field that was his secretive attitude and dangerous aura.

With a dismissive sigh, I stepped off on my floor, walked tiredly to my door, opened it and walked in.

Seconds later, I was faced with a large shadow descending over me. I screamed, stumbled backwards from the massive shadow and went crashing onto the foyer floor in a heap.

The light came on and I found myself blinking up at Lula and Jackie.

"Dang white girl." Lula said, hands on hips. "You hit the floor like a bag of bricks. You should really lay off the doughnuts."

I felt my eye twitch at her audacity and angrily sat up. "What are you guys doing here!"

Jackie grinned. "We're moving in."

I paled. "What was that?"

"You heard her." Lula said with a smug expression. "I forgot that Hyde blew up our apartment. Now we need a new place to stay. You wouldn't mind letting us stay here for a while would you?"

I opened my mouth to say I actually did mind but was cut off when Lula continued.

"After all, I did drive you around. You owe me."

I clenched my teeth. "I really did appreciate that but I have a car now so I don't-"

"Thanks so much!" Jackie exclaimed, clapping her hands as if she hadn't heard me. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. "We'll only be here until we get back on our feet. The streets should be packed tomorrow after the fire dies down."

"You so generous." Lula smiled. They then helped me to my feet and scattered; Lula nosing around in the kitchen and Jackie taking a seat on my couch. I watched this all with wide eyes, an open mouth and a dry tongue that kept me from voicing my complaints.

"By the way," I heard Lula call while she slammed my cabinets opened and closed. "I'll need to sleep on the bed. I got real bad back problems and I could die from sleeping on a hard couch or floor."

"It's true." Jackie piped in, flicking the TV remote. "She can't sleep on hard surfaces."

What wonderful news. So, not only had I gotten Ranger's Mustang totaled and accepted to help the man (_the man I was intent on denying my extreme attraction to_) on an assignment tonight, I had acquired two new roommates who happened to be 'hos and I had just gotten shoved off of my bed _and_ couch.

My life was just full of _pleasant _surprises, wasn't it?


	12. Chapter Eleven

A/N: No way! I have time to update?

That's right :) I'm not going to school tomorrow. Albeit, it's because of a surgery but who the hell cares?! I got timeeee babyyyyy!

Enjoy!

**

Chapter Eleven

**

"It's too long."

"Too short."

"...It's ugly."

"Too damn sparkly."

"Are you going for the gorilla look?"

"Shit stain brain, really?"

"Not tight enough. It's making your hips look huge."

"What the hell?! You might need a pushup bra with what you're working with."

"And maybe pack some pillows underneath....you know, to make your butt seem bigger."

"She doesn't want a big butt!"

"Dudes like big asses! And trust me Jackie, I've seen this man.....he'll like a big booty."

"How do you know?"

"'Cause he has a delicious one."

I felt my eye twitch and glanced up at the ceiling, mentally asking the Big Man Upstairs what his deal was and why he hated me so. I wasn't an overly violent person, tried to live up to good morals and ate my vegetables....well, sometimes. Okay fine, I never ate vegetables. But I tried once. The thought counted right?

At the moment, I was standing in my bedroom, in front of the full length mirror on the wall with _I-think-I-know-everything-about-__fashio_n Jackie and Lula. Not only had they forced their ways into my home but they had also wrangled me down to the mall to buy not one, not two, not three, but _five dresses_ after commenting on my 'blasé' outfits. Five dresses! Totally just pulled my wallet out and bought them all for me!

Well....maybe I took the wallet out myself but they encouraged me. I swear, these women could be excellent at selling things. Which, I supposes, is _kinda_ what they do already.

Anyway, I bought the damn dresses. Five different ones. All because of them. All because they whined and yammered on about how good I'd look in them and how Ranger would crumble to his knees when he laid his eyes on me.

Yeah, mistake number one: Telling them I had a 'job' to do with Ranger. Jackie didn't even know the guy but, of course, ringleader _Lula_ insisted that I must dress up and so the nightmare began.

I had five dresses. Five dressed that THEY had picked out and, apparently, didn't _like _anymore.

"Oh no, girl! That's too much cleavage!" Jackie winced when I arrived out of the bathroom in the third one; a lacy, white ensemble that ended at the top of my thighs and had a neckline that dipped down clear to China.

"You picked it out!" I screamed in rage, balling my fists.

They exchanged worried looks. "It looked better at the store..." Was the woman's only reply.

My left eye twitched spasmodically.

"Yeah white girl." Lula tsk tsked. "You don't want to give him the entire package on the first date. You want him to imagine; add a little mystery. Get him riled up. You're not a 'ho too, ya know."

I frowned at my reflection. "About that-" I started, preparing to pounce on the opportunity to talk about the subject of their profession. If they were really going to stay here.....God I sounded like I was caving. I would have to tell them that they couldn't stay here, simple as that. There was no way I'd allow it. 'Hos were, for lack of a better term, not very....sanitary.

"Hey!" Jackie huffed; folding her arms across her chest and shooting me an evil glare that let me know I had spoken my thoughts aloud. AGAIN. "We're very clean!"

"I clean everyday." Lula stated. "What, you think we just leave our shit dirty?"

I smiled sheepishly and held up my hands as a signal for peace. "No I just-"

"We not 'hos by choice, white girl." Lula continued, voice turning nasty. "It pays the bills, okay?" She motioned to me. "We just like you; trying to make a living doing whatever is available."

I begun to retort but Jackie added in one last sentence that really made me stop and think. "I'm sure you've been in that spot before. That spot where you get fired and don't know where you're going in life." Her words were soft, a little sympathetic; as if she was embarrassed which maybe she was. "I wanted to be a Pediatrician, you know? I...it just...Nothing worked out he way it was suppose to, I guess." She smiled sadly at me. "Just...not enough time, huh?"

Yeah. Yeah, that was true, wasn't it?

I turned back to the mirror to stare at me. I mean, really stare and scrutinize the woman gazing back at me. The white dress disappeared, Lula and Jackie vanished and I found myself standing there all alone, twenty odd years younger, in my old room, dressed in my fairy custom from Halloween. It in the evening and my parents were downstairs congratulating my sister, Valerie on her A plus after complaining about my trip to the principal's office after kicking Jerry Sherome in the shoe.

I saw myself in all my nine year old glory; a determined look on my face while I whispered to myself over and over again that today would be the day. The day I'd finally be able to fly; to soar into the sky. I'd become a fairy. I'd become Wonder Woman. I'd become anything, something that let me feel the clouds on my face. Nothing could stop me from achieving my goals. Then, everyone would see. Everyone would see that I wasn't a complete failure. Today, Valerie wouldn't be the only one who made our parents smile with love radiating out of their eyes.

My vision blurred and the image slowly drifted off into a sea of white streams. I was me again; thirty two year old Stephanie Plum in a revealing, white dress on with no family, barely any friends, a job she sucked at, magnet for disaster and not one proud moment from her parents to account on.

_Where did all the dreams go?_

Washed away with the cold truth of were no such things as fairies or superheroes or magicians. There were just people trying to make it a day at a time in this reckless, unavoidable thing called life.

A soft thud interrupted my bittersweet thoughts and I jerked upwards, turning towards the location. It took me a full minute to realize that the sound had indicated the front door opening and that someone was walking through my apartment.

Someone with boots.

"Holy smokes, it's him!" Lula whispered desperately, peeking out the door. "White girl, it's him! That Ranger! He's looking around your living room. Oh man...he looks even finer that I last saw..."

I felt my heart speed up and felt a surge of anger bubble in my chest. Why the hell didn't anyone use my fucking doorbell!? I began to usher the women out of my room. "Get out there and stall!" I still had no idea what I was wearing! The lacy dress? The green one? Black one? What was he wearing?! Did he really look fine-er?! Do I really bring the gun? If so, where to put it? Carry my purse!? Wear my heels?! Which inch!? It was eight o'clock already!? Did I have time to put on makeup?! Was makeup necessary? How much makeup? What color!? _Ranger was in my apartment!_

I closed the door on Lula and Jackie before they could argue and hurried into the bathroom in a frenzy of whimpers and racing thoughts.

Thirty minutes later (_record speed!_); I came stumbling out of the bedroom in three inch, black heels and my purse thrown across my shoulder. I almost tripped, caught my balance and then leaned my arm on the couch; flipping my short, brown locks to turn and smile flirtatious at Ranger.

My smile dropped however when I took in the scene before me and my eyes nearly bulged from their sockets. My first thought was; _why'd I leave them with him!?_

Ranger was sitting on the couch with, probably, the most uncomfortable look I'd ever saw him express. He had on a pure, black suit and slicked back hair. And, although he didn't look much different from the last time I'd seen him, I had to agree with Lula; he did look better for some reason.

My appreciation of his looks would have to wait, though. Because, at the moment, Lula and Jackie were standing before him.

Naked.

Well okay, not _fully_ naked but things were poking out here and there. And music was playing in the background. From a stereo I didn't even remember buying.

My God, they were stripping for him!?

Ranger's eyes came up to meet mines and I saw a flicker of something; relief, amusement, fear, I had no clue. Lula and Jackie turned as well and I made a frantic motion with my hands that signaled '_Come here!_' "What the hell!?" I whispered to them with wide eyes.

Lula shrugged. "He was being real unresponsive. I just wanted to cheer him up."

Hah. Kind of like when I made a comment about his sex life to get a rise out of him. She was more like me than I had originally thought. Excluding, of course, the addiction to taking her clothes off. I jerked my thumb backwards towards my bedroom they caught on and hustled away while taking the stereo on their path out.

Ranger stood while I sashayed to him and I saw his mouth twitch. He was amused. "New roommates?"

"Temporary. You still thinking about offering Lula that job?" I teased, smiling.

"Strangely...yes." His eyes roamed over my form and instinct suddenly told me to heave my chest up higher. I was decked out in a velvet red dress that came to halt at mid-thigh (_the all too infamous modest-yet-sexy-length_). It had spaghetti straps; a neckline that outlined the top of the average sized breast God instilled upon me and, in my opinion, fit my shape very firmly. My hair was naturally curled and a few brushes of mascara added a bit of shimmer to my brown eyes.

I wasn't Marilyn Monroe but, all in all, I think I looked presentable. My dark red to his black matched perfectly, by the way.

Another flicker passed through the man's dark eyes and I felt my stomach heat up. I hadn't occurred to me until this very moment but....I had really went out of my way to dress up for a, and I repeat, a _non-date_. Why the heck was I trying to impress him all of a sudden?

_Because his eyes are like dark pools of ecstasy, his body is the epitome of sexy, his face basks in pure Sex-__Godliness__, he's totally off limits; not only physically but mentally and emotionally as well and you've recently had an epiphany about your not-so-achieved past goals._

In laments terms; I was in a little funk and maybe, _just maybe_, Ranger admiring my looks would help me out of it. Even if I knew it'd go nowhere.

"So?" I asked after he stared for a few more minutes, feeling self conscious. "How do I look?"

His eyes met mines again and he struggled out in a thick voice, "Good."

"That's it?" I blinked, urging him onward. "Just good?"

"Very good."

"_Very, very_ good? Not too dressed up?"

"Not at all."

I sucked on my teeth. I'd need more than that to brighten my mood. "Are you sure? I feel a little fat..."

"Stephanie, at this very moment, I'm contemplating taking you into your bedroom, stripping off that dress and showing you just how good you look to me. Are you happy with _that_ response?"

Gulp.

There was no way to hide the surprise in my face and the blush rising on my cheeks. My mouth came open all by itself and I couldn't form a reply because my throat had just dried up. Ranger was staring at me with those deep eyes of his and I felt frozen in place. I was completely caught off guard. Yes, I wanted him to compliment me more but....wow. I uh...his words were totally unexpected.

Damn him and his unpredictable, complicated ways!

"Thanks." I squeaked out finally in a small voice when the initial shock wore off.

His mouth curved upwards slightly. "You're welcome. Now go get you're gun." Damn it. How'd he know I didn't have it? He gave me a look and I rolled my eyes, groaning.

"Fine." I started to turn, paused and then faced him once more. "You were just joking right? About the bedroom comment?"

Ranger broke out into a grin that could have resembled a vicious wolf and it sent all kinds of chills down my back. "Would you like to find out?"

My face burned again and my mouth went dry for the second time when my brain blanked at the prospect of replying. It seemed to be a proven fact that when he made sexual comments, I froze up. That being said, I turned on my heel and power walked into the kitchen without a glance back for fear of showing my flustered state.

I knew when I was beat. Ranger was obviously the more experienced one when it came to flirting. I'd have to watch out next time.

Besides, I had a feeling that his comment was truthful. Why, you ask?

Well because I had noticed a bulge in his pants that was obviously not his gun.

The scary part?

I was deliberating taking him up on his offer to find out for myself anyway.

*************

Hope you liked his next installment! ^_^ A bit short maybe but it's out there. Reviews are always appreciated. More R&S soon! Love and Peace, homies.


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